Breaking Free: Revenge of Broken Hearts
by animefreak5483
Summary: My latest Taiora AU Set in American West. Tai is on a quest to avenge his slain family. Sora is also on a journey caused by a broken past. Both have wounded souls and neither have peace. Can they find the peace and closure together on their journey?
1. Chapter 1

News Flash: Animefreak5483 is NOT DEAD ; Repeat- I am not dead- and I'm back!  
  
Long time no see guys! It's been a little longer than I thought it would be since I last posted a Taiora fic. Sorry about that. One thing lead to another- however for those who forgive me and waited patiently, this is for you! I couldn't decide which of my many Taioras to begin to post, however thanks to the History channel and it's marathon of Wild West shows and a new playstation game commercial, this one would not let me sleep at night. I took the combination of the two to be a kick in the butt to get this story up for others to enjoy. Just to let you know it's an AU, set in the Wild West (American West), if it's not apparent from the start. Not much else going on except for summer language classes... I'm such a masochist... busy and all that fun. I hope you are having a great summer and enjoy the fic!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. There looks like there could be some similarities with the new playstation game "Red Dead Revolver." (I don't know just yet... haven't played the game.) I will admit the TV commercial did help me out of a mild writer's block... so I figure I better cover my butt and babble on that topic a bit...I don't own the game either... (Is my butt legally covered yet?? Hopefully- this A/N is getting a bit long )  
  
Questions/comments are always welcome  
  
-Chapter 1: Meetings in the West  
  
He had finally made it to his destination. The three months of traveling, baring the harsh climates of the unforgiving West on his solitary shoulders, and countless nights wondering just what he was trying to accomplish, Taichi Kamiya had made it to the bustling city of Sacramento, California.  
  
Stopping his trusty horse, Yumi, the brown haired man took off his cowboy hat and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. On the top of a barren rock formation the duo had stopped to look down upon the town where their journeys had led them.  
  
"We made it this far girl." His deep voice rumbled in his parched throat as he stroked the horse's mane. As if the horse understood, it gave an understanding snort and nodded. "Well, shall we finish this then?" He asked before he gave the horse a gentle nudge in the side.  
  
The light tone of the horse he rode blended in well with the dusty and desolate land that surrounded them and the town. They both had gotten use to the scenery, when you traveled across the greater part of a country; the lack of anything remotely resembling civilization became almost comforting. Especially when you were trying to get away from everything and everyone. The only reason Taichi had not given up and resigned to his own death long ago was the fact that he was on a mission.  
  
The pilgrimage to the West was not one by choice. He simply had business to take care of. And he was determined to finish everything or die trying. When traveling with only your horse, the vast desert landscapes can become quite lonely. Internal thought was something that he had dreaded. It was in his mind that the past came back to haunt him.  
  
Four months ago he would have never thought of leaving his little homestead in the central part of the country. He had made a place for himself as a simple farmer after retiring from being a Marshall. It wasn't old age that caused his retirement. Nor was an injury plaguing the young man who made his way closer to the approaching town.  
  
In fact he had volunteered to leave the good paying job of law enforcement and live a quite but happy life with his wife and soon to be born child. True, his marriage to the bubbly city girl had been nearly arranged, he had nosy parents and in-laws to thank for that, however they were happy.  
  
For a little under a year they had made a go at farming a small bit of land away from the larger cities. Getting their hands dirty in the soil was surprisingly enjoyable for the both of them. And life felt right in all aspects.  
  
However things were not to be this way for long. Never before had he thought that ever being part of the marshals, even the lower level officer he was, would come back to haunt him. His very first job as a newly certified law enforcement officer would return several years later to clam everyone's life. Everyone that was dear to him.  
  
The memories of pulling himself from the burning rubble of his homestead came flashing back. The house was on fire. They had smelt the scent of burning wood soon enough to know to get out. However, she wouldn't leave without her crystal music box he had given her for their wedding day. It was the most expensive thing he had bought, except for the rings she wore on her slender fingers. Assuring her he would grab it, he pushed her towards the door.  
  
Running through the now smoke filled rooms, Taichi searched for the trinket like he had promised. As he threw open their chest filled with blankets and such a gunshot echoed in his ears. Forgetting the purpose he had returned to their room, he ran straight out for his wife.  
  
Once he emerged from the burning building he was frozen in place as he witnessed his wife's bloody body fall to the ground as several men, who surrounded the homestead snickered. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, even now if he had not personally buried her, he would have thought it all a bad dream.  
  
Taking several bullets to the chest himself, the men who had the intention to kill them both left him for dead as he staggered backwards and closer to the scorching flames. Tai was only able to catch a slight glimpse of a man who waited for the others at a distance. The broken nose of the man was a prominent feature that Taichi could not shake from his mind. The evil glare in the man's red eyes also left a mark on his clouding consciousness.  
  
Somehow, be it divine intervention or just sheer luck, Taichi awoke alive. His entire body hurt, not just the bullet wounds or burns, but his heart felt dead as he pulled himself to his knees. Having to dig his way out of the half charred wood and debris, he came to the body of his wife.  
  
He would have never known that human beings could be as cruel as he saw them now. Lying there still and silent was the dead and bloody body of his wife. Several gunshots riddled her body as well, however that was not even the half of it. Looking down to where she was caring their first child, he was sickened at the sight. They had cut her open and made sure the unborn would surely remain that way...  
  
Tears brimmed in his eyes yet he could not cry. The water that pooled in his eyes threatened to seep down his dirt and blood stained face. His body began to shake as he cradled her in his arms for the last time.  
  
As the sky clouded over and the fact that he was alone finally sunk in, the tears finally escaped in torrents. On the other hand, maybe the water on his face was the rain, either way his heart and body ached for his dead family. Screaming up to the heavens for an answer or at least a reason, thunder and lightening illuminated the sky.  
  
Shaking the bad memories out of his head, Taichi took in the appearance of the town. On the outside, it looked like your ordinary run of the mill-mining town. A single road ran through the center of the town, and behind the taller buildings looked like the beginnings of a railroad station.  
  
The streets were barren for the most part. Every few buildings there would be a horse tied to a hitching post, or a shopkeeper sweeping, however the everyday citizens seemed to be missing. Motioning with his legs for Yumi to continue into the city, Tai stopped to ask for directions to the inn from one of the only remotely friendly looking men on the wooden sidewalk.  
  
The sun's hot rays, blocked from the man a he walked along the porch style sidewalks of the many businesses, continued to beat down mercilessly on Taichi. Even with a wide brimmed cowboy hat for protection, his skin was still dry and burnt. It did not seem to matter to Tai much; however it was clear that from outward appearances he had been traveling. Not wanting to stick out so much, he needed to find lodging and get cleaned up. That and a cold bath sounded like heat now.  
  
"Excuse me sir," Tai started out in a polite manner. When the man did not respond, Tai had to be a bit more assertive; after all, they were no longer in a polite atmosphere. Life in the West was harsh and tough. No one got anywhere being polite.  
  
"I SAID Howdy there," Tai's voice grew louder finally catching the man's attention.  
  
"Howdy stranger." Came a reply from the young man with spiky blonde hair sticking out from under his hat.  
  
"I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the nearest inn with clean sheets." Tai began before being cut off when a loud round of cheers went off. Looking over to the source of the noise, Tai became confused. He could not see anyone around, and yet the noise had to have come from somewhere.  
  
"They're having a hanging behind the jailhouse. A sort of double header if you will." The man snickered a bit. "You'll have to wait till they're all done. No one will be at the hotel now."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"You must not be from around here. Everyone shows up for a hanging around here. Well, almost everyone that is." The other man corrected himself. Looking up at Taichi again, the man continued. "The only people who don't attend usually go to the Saloon. That's were I'm heading now."  
  
"I see. So what did they do?" Tai asked looking back over to the direction of the prominent jailhouse across the street.  
  
"Who knows, and the people around here don't seem too particular for a reason either." The man shrugged. "I'll give you a bit of advice, you look like a decent guy and all, don't mess with the sheriff's office around here. In fact I suggest you don't even spend the night in this town."  
  
"This would be because..." Tai started out making the intonation of his voice pose the question of 'why.'  
  
"I wouldn't ask too many questions either. People have this funny way of disappearing if they get nosey around these parts. Instead, how about I take you to the saloon for a quick drink?" The blonde asked motioning Tai to walk with him. "They have the best liquor here for miles and of course the most beautiful serving girls in the West."  
  
Deciding against looking into the executions anymore after the second prisoner met his fate and a cheer again erupted from the people of the town, Tai nodded and dismounted his horse.  
  
"The name's Yamamoto, but my friend's call me Matt." The man similar to his age said extending his hand towards Tai.  
  
"I'm Tai." His brown eyes finally got a closer look at the blonde he was walking with. The things he had said struck Tai and made him a bit more curious than he wanted to let on. If the information he had received was correct, those responsible for his family's death were centered in this city... hearing Matt talk so negatively about the police and people of the town, he wondered if things were connected.  
  
"So where are you from?" The blonde asked making small talk as they continued to walk towards the town's best saloon. In the distance, Tai could hear music coming from a large red building. After trying Yumi up and giving her some food, Tai followed the other man as he neared the building. The exterior could use some work he thought, however the swinging doors led into a nicely polished establishment. A long counter with stools ran along the wall across from the entrance. A pudgy balding bartender stood behind it wiping a glass with a cloth as they entered. Groups of men sat at tables playing cards, or gambling in some fashion or another. In the right corner of the bar, a small stage stood for live acts to perform. At the moment a nicely dressed piano played tickled the ivories with a peppy tune that sounded familiar and at the same time exotic to Tai.  
  
Taking in the room, an all it's activity Tai simply followed the other man as the two took off their hats and made their way to the bar. Matt had to keep a laugh from escaping his lips. The expression on his new friend's lips was hilarious.  
  
"So what do you think? Never been to a bar before?" Matt asked turning to a still awestruck Taichi. "Hey Joe! Is she working today?" The blonde called over towards a second bar keeper busy cleaning the spilt beer behind the counter.  
  
"Hey Matt, who's the new guy?" The blue haired man with glasses asked.  
  
"Tai, this is Joe. Joe, Tai." Matt introduced them. Tai greeted the other man friendly with a handshake.  
  
"Nice to meet you. Are you from around here?" Joe asked making polite mall talk as he finished his work and set out two clean glasses. "What will it be?"  
  
"What? Oh, I'll have..."  
  
"Two house specials." Matt cut him off before Tai could respond further. "And make 'em strong." Matt said before turning in the stool and looking out at the busy room. Tai took his eyes off the bartender and followed Matt's eyes up to what apparently was the second floor of the establishment. A balcony of sorts ran around the walls above the main floor with several doors leading into other parts of the building.  
  
"So is she here?" Matt asked again once again facing Joe and his finished drink. After watching the blonde gulp down the drink, the other man finally responded to his question.  
  
"Ya, she's working today. Although I would watch it if I were you. Your usual tricks won't go by unpunished today. She already beat the crap out of one lewd customer this morning. And it's but her in a bad mood." Joe shrugged before pouring another drink.  
  
The conversation going on between the two seemed uninteresting to Tai as he continued to look over the room. A smoky haze filled the air, as he noticed several men smoking cigars with giggly women sitting on their laps. Some of the women even smoke with the men. The many new scenes continued to hold his fascination. In the four months he had traveled, never once did he stop into a saloon. His mind had been consumed with one thing- revenge.  
  
However the slamming of a door from the balcony drew both his eye and mind off the scenes on the floor. Exiting from a room above the saloon floor was a woman. Tai didn't know what it was about her that caused him to follow her movements so closely, but he did. The heels of her boots tapped as she descended the narrow staircase in the left corner of the room. The swish of her short skirt and the ruffles accenting her low cut and form fitting corset made nearly every man in the establishment turn to look at her. Her dress was a deep shade of red silk accented by a black corset and ruffles showed off her modest, yet amble bust and curvy waist.  
  
As she made her way over to where they were sitting, Tai found he could not take his eyes off her for a second. He never before had been mesmerized in this way by a member of the opposite sex. Her crimson orbs met chocolate and for a moment no one else existed. Tai felt as if he was alone in the room. He could only watch as she gave him a quick glance over and proceeded to move towards the bar.  
  
"Howdy Ms. Sora." Matt gave a smile motioning for her to sit down next to him. The woman gave a short flick of her curly auburn locks, ignoring both men all together.  
  
"Joe, I'm taking the rest of the day off." Her voice was pleasant one to Tai's ears. He couldn't tell why at the moment, but he felt a strong, yet mysterious spirit in her.  
  
"That's perfect, we'll spend the day going for a walk together then." Matt said still not giving up on his long time battle for the red head's attention.  
  
"Yamamoto, please." Pulling the shawl she had around hips up higher on her slender shoulders, she sighed. "I already told you, when you can out drink me, then we'll talk about your so called relationship." With that she took the drink that had been meant for Tai and drank it in one chug. Earning a sly smile from the blue haired man, Sora turned and looked at the other man who was still staring at her. "If you boys will excuse me, it looks like I have business to attend to." She said noticing a form waiting for her near the doorway. She simply nodded to them and almost as if she were floating made her way for the exit.  
  
-  
  
A/N: so what do you think? I hope it at least sounds interesting. I'm still not sure if all the digidestined will make it into the fic yet, and sorry to the Mimi fans... I have nothing against her- in fact I enjoy her character so well. However, her personality just didn't really fit well into the old west... you may disagree, oh well... I'm the one in control here ; Still not sure if Kate and power are a good combination-  
  
Let me know what you think! Emails/reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. Ja Ne Minasan! 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry for the wait on the second chapter... Summer classes are ending with Major tests and projects coming due. However after this Friday, I will be done with Japanese class. I will have a week or so to make up for the two week wait for the next bit of the story.

Thanks for the reviews and emails! I can't wait to see what you think of the fic

-

Sora sauntered out of the saloon. Her skirt seemed to mingle with the breeze as she pushed past the swinging doors of the building. The loose strands of her hair that had escaped the high bun also were moved by the wind. A red headed man stood waiting as she exited. Tipping his hat he wore to her, the man merely motioned for her to follow him. His clothes were nicely kept and signified he was no ordinary cowboy.

"Any developments?" Sora asked in a serious tone.

"I got you a very good lead." The man replied as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her. Sora quickly snatched it and began to un-crumple it. The man watched a smile appear on her red painted lips as she skimmed the letter's contents.

"It's time isn't it? This is your chance- the one we've been looking for..." He asked only imagining what was going on inside her mind at the moment.

"We?" Sora repeated and mulled over the word's significance. "Gods, what would I do without you Izzy? Thanks! I owe you everything... I can finally stop this bastard for good."

"Sora, are you sure you're up to taking on all of these people yourself? I mean if anyone even suspects a thing..."

"I know, I'll hang from a tree.... I know the risks."

"Alright- but do stay alive... taking on Boss..."

Izzy was silenced from continuing his sentence by Sora pushing her lips on his quickly. Turning him so that she was leaning up against the closest wall, Sora continued to kiss the red head.

Feeling the dark presence of someone listening in on them, this was the only thing she could think of doing. Moving her lips over to Izzy's ear, nibbling lightly for appearance sake, she whispered in his ear the uneasy feeling she was having. When it came to thinks like this her feelings were never wrong. Ever since the day her family was slaughtered in front of her eyes, she began to trust her gut instincts more and more.

Letting her right hand run down his back, she could feel Izzy gulp and tense. Fighting his inner emotions that were churning, Izzy nearly fainted as he felt her lift her leg up to hip level. The blood that was threatening to gush from his nose was stopped as her hand left his lower back and went underneath the ruffles of her dress. Reaching for the small side arm that she had strapped to her thigh, Sora slowly retracted the tiny gun and took aim at the shadow that had been following them for sometime.

-

Tai had watched her every move. How she seemed to float down the twisting stair case, over to them and then out into the street. He still was looking at the door when everyone in the bar had returned to their activities. He even didn't notice as the blue haired man poured another round of tanish liquid into the empty cup. However it wasn't enough to wake the daydreamer, not even someone's throat clearing effect him.

"The inn is just down the street, otherwise there are a few rooms upstairs... but those aren't really for sleeping in much." Joe said with an uncomfortable look.

"Na, he's not here for that. Strictly a business visit, am I right?" Matt asked. Getting no response from the new guy sitting next to him, the blonde gave the other man a slap on the back.

Tai felt a slap to his back and crashed out of his internal dialogues.

"What?"

"Oh, so you might do a little 'sightseeing' while here... good luck with that one." Matt smiled downing his drink.

"That one's all business; it's a shame really..." The blonde sighed.

"Don't mind this guy," Joe spoke up cutting Matt off. "He's been trying to have a relationship with Ms. Sora ever since she first came to this town. The whole town either loves her or hates her. I don't complain either way- business is never dull around here with Sora around." Joe smiled.

"You mean... she's... she..." Tai couldn't comprehend how someone with such a pure and kind aura about them could actually be in such a profession. Yet the scantly clad, red head retained a good girl innocence to her.

"Don't make her should like she's some common whore!" Matt said standing up and balling his fists.

"Whoa! Hold it right there cowboy! I never said that." Joe said trying to calm the overreacting blonde. "You know I love Sora like a little sister. And I watch out for her when ever I can."

"Well it sounded like you were..."

"Matt, I know you've very protective of her, and so am I... everyone does what they have too to survive in this town... she was adamant about getting some sort of job herself from the start."

As the two men continued to converse about the mysterious woman who had caught his eye, Tai listened. After a time of listening, the lack of sleep began to finally catch up with him. His saddle-tired body also began to demand a soft mattress and a hot bath.

"Well, I think you'll want to be getting to the inn, you look rather tired." Joe said trying to change the conversation topic.

'Yeah, I think I had better turn in soon. I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow." Tai said as he stood.

"So, just what brings you to a town so far West anyway?" The blue haired man asked.

"I'm looking for someone... maybe you guys could help me out- have you both lived here long?" Both men nodded and Tai's hope grew that they might be able to aid him in his journey. "By any chance is there a man with a broken looking nose around these parts?"

"Not that I've seen. But we'll keep our eyes and ears open for you." The blonde said finishing his drink.

"Thanks." Tai nodded as he took a few coins out of his pocket.

"The drink was on the house." Joe replied before Tai could even try and offer the money to him.

"Thanks again. I'll see you both around then."

Leaving the saloon, Tai untied Yumi and lead her down the street. Following the directions Joe and Matt had given him to get to the town's only inn, he suddenly began to get an uneasy feeling. Turning a corner his feelings were confirmed as he saw a man crouching behind a large wooden box watching two figures up against a wall.

His large chocolate eyes went wide as he saw the man withdraw a revolver from his side holster and take aim at the couple locked in what looked like an intimate embrace. Doing the only thing he thought to do, he quickly reached for his gun. With in the few precious seconds it took to un-holster his weapon, Tai hear a shot being fired. Quickly he took aim and shot off two shots himself, ensuring the man would not be alive to try anything again.

-

Sora pushed Izzy off and quickly ran with her gun still in hand. Sprinting at full force she went straight for the area she had fired mere seconds before. She had specifically aimed at only his hand, wanting to extract any information she could out of the sniper. However she had heard two more shots. This was something that had caused her to rush. Assuming someone had sent the gunman to do her in, she needed to know if anyone suspected her or her intentions and just who shot off the other rounds.

Seeing a man with gun still in hand she stopped in mid stride. Pulling her gun up again as if on instinct she waited for the second man to move.

"Who are you?" She demanded sternly as the man didn't look away from the dead body at his feet. "Drop your weapon right now or else I'll put one right between your eyes."

"You shot his hand..." The man's voice mumbled as he turned suddenly. His movements scared her a little and her trigger finger twitched a little. That was until she got a better look at him. The brown hair and deep chocolate eyes looked familiar, yet she could not place him as a regular of the town.

"What?"

"Your shot... you were the one I heard, but I thought it was him and so I shot..." He said in whispers before he dropped his gun and backed away from the dead body. Seeing his weapon on the ground she quickly moved to kick it further away. Watching him closely she moved to stand over the gunman.

"He's dead..." She said disappointedly. "I had wanted him alive...Damn it!" She swore, getting a bit of a gasp from brown haired man. He was not use to women using such course language, and it was that curse that brought him back to the situation... he had just killed a man.

"You can't get information from a corpse, no matter how hard you try." Izzy said as he made his way over to the two.

"Damn it Izzy, and he had nothing on him either." Sora continued to search the dead man's clothes. "Don't suppose you could help a girl out with the body? I think Joe's going to have to stage another fight to cover this one up." She smiled.

"What?" Tai asked after listening to the conversation.

"You're new in town aren't you?" Izzy asked eyeing the other man suspiciously. Sora's crimson orbs also moved to look up at the man. Their eyes met for a moment. Deep chocolate and fire crimson orbs seemed to catch and be able to look away. In Tai's eyes he saw a beautiful and mysterious creature, to Sora, she saw a stranger. However, he was not only a stranger. He had attempted to assist them, even though he only ended up causing a slight delay in information gathering, the fact remained he had tried to help. Not many people out on the frontier commit random acts of kindness, and his gesture and sorrowful eyes struck her like none had done in a long time.

As Tai talked to the red haired man, he could not help but watch the crimson orbs of the woman next to him. His eyes went wide as she lifted up her skirts and re-strapped the tiny gun to her thigh. Her leg was a shade of silky cream, with muscles that told him life was hard for everyone out in the Wild West.

Resituating her skirts Sora pulled out a handkerchief and walked over to her friend.

"I owe you one Izzy." She said changing the subject as she wiped the lipstick off his cheek with her silken hanky. The blush on his cheeks made Sora smile.

"No... no problem... anytime." The red head stuttered as he remembered how close they had been only moments ago.

"They must be on to us... I want you to lay low for a while." She added slipping the piece of fabric into his vest pocket. "Keep it."

"But what about..."

"Forget it. Izzy I don't want you mixed up anymore in this than you are. I have to do the rest on my own." She said sternly.

"Well, I don't think your boyfriend will let you do that, especially if he heard what happened today." Izzy smirked with a light tone of voice.

"You're talking about Matt? Will you all get things straight, he's not my boyfriend... so we've spent time together, that was strictly business." She corrected the red head. "Now are you going to help with this guy or not?"

The dead man's body was heavier than it looked. It took Tai and Izzy both to lift him and with Sora watching for any onlookers they made their way into the back of the saloon. Leaving Izzy to talk to Joe and take care of the dead body, Sora sighed and began to walk towards the small single room apartment she called home.

She hadn't gone long when she noticed that the man with the deep chocolate eyes and wild hair was following her. Trying to not let it bother her, she continued to walk; yet her brain would not let the man's actions earlier go. Wondering why he had bothered to help a saloon girl out and not expect anything.

Stopping sharply she turned and looked the man right in the eye. Tai saw her stop and the expression of confusion and wariness caused him to also stop in this tracks. Neither Sora, nor Tai said a thing, both staring at each other trying to figure things out. The loud neighing on Yumi broke them out of the staring contest they had seemed to be having.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello again. I hope everyone is well. I want to say sorry again for the response time. Things have busy around here- moving, summer session class ending, week off, school beginning, sister leaving for basic training -she sold her soul to the Navy, not really sure why- but I'll be the supportive sister- everything else going on right now has kept me on my toes as of late.

Anyway, I've enjoyed the reviews that you all left. Thanks so much, they really made me want to finish this chapter earlier... however that never really happened. Gomen! So without further ranting and mumbling here's chapter 3!

--

Stopping sharply she turned and looked the man right in the eye. Tai saw her stop and the expression of confusion and wariness caused him to also stop in this tracks. Neither Sora, nor Tai said a thing, both staring at each other trying to figure things out. The loud neighing on Yumi broke them out of the staring contest they had seemed to be having.

"Can I help you?" Sora asked with a little irritation in her voice. It had been a long day and now there was this total stranger. All she wanted to do at the moment was going home and sleeping the rest of the day. However, with this guy following her things wouldn't be that easy. Granted the man was nice in helping them, but still...

Tai didn't know what to say to the barely restrained fury the crimson orbs hid. He didn't know what to do, and as if on reflex he ended up taking a step backwards.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want... thank you for you good intentions and all, but right now I just want to go home." Sora continued.

"I...I'm sorry, it's just... I was told that the town's inn happened to be this way... I didn't mean to seem like I was following you or anything, really... it's..."

"No, stop. I'm sorry." The beautiful auburn haired woman said touching his hand and stopping him from continuing on his mumbling. "It's just, well you've kind of seen what sort of life I lead around here...it's been extra strenuous lately..."

"No, no it's alright. I guess I don't exactly know your particular situation too well, but I know first hand how hard life in the West can be." Tai replied flashing an understanding smile.

"So you're looking for the inn? You're new here, so I guess you would need a place to stay... by the way, my name is Sora. Sora Takenouchi. And I apologize for being so rude..."

"I'm Taichi Kamiya. But everyone who knows me calls me Tai." He stopped her apologies once again not feeling the need to make her ask for forgiveness. Politeness was something that he missed, being that people out this far from the civilized world hardly ever were anything but selfish and rude.

"Nice to meet you. You are probably looking for a place to rest your horse. She's quite a beauty." Sora smiled as she took a few steps closer to him and his horse. Yumi instantly warmed up to the stranger patting her neck and speaking in calm happy tones.

"Her name is Yumi. And yes, I am actually looking for a barn of some kind being that I don't know exactly how long I'll be here." He said scratching his head.

"Well, let's get you settled at the inn and then we'll work out housing for your horse." Sora smiled as she motioned for Tai to continue walking behind her.

After a block or so, Sora stopped in front of a large two story building. On the outside the place looked quite inviting for an older looking building.

"This place was one of the first buildings that were built in this town. Right before the gold rush came and brought all these people to California." Sora said as she walked up the three front steps. Turning around in the doorway she opened the door to let Tai inside.

Once Yumi was tied off at the hitching post, Tai walked up the steps and entered the cozy little establishment. As soon as he entered the warmth of the inside made the older exterior not matter.

"The place my not look like much, however it's cheap and it's home." Sora smiled as she walked through the entry way. "Mrs. Paterson? Mrs. Paterson are you down here?" The girl called out into the adjacent room that reminded Taichi of his family's parlor room, where they entertained guests. In the middle of the room near a large window sat an elderly woman in a rocking chair.

"Sora? Is that you sweetie?" She asked as she looked up from her knitting. "Are you home already? Mrs. Anderson didn't keep you too ling today with her laundry and seamstress work did she?"

Tai couldn't help but watch the elderly woman interact with the younger woman. The old woman with glasses and a hunch seemed like a sweet grandmother figure. And the smile on Sora's face, he felt as if he was interrupting a private matter between close family members.

"Oh, you have a visitor with you?" The old woman spoke up looking over at the other person in the room. Squinting even with thick glasses, the older woman tried to take a better look at the guest. "So I finally get to meet this boyfriend you keep talking about. What was your name again...oh yes I believe it's Matt, right dear?"

"Um... this is Taichi, Mrs. Paterson." Sora corrected the white haired woman. "Actually he was looking for a place to stay. The room across from mine was vacated just yesterday; I was going to put him up in there."

"Oh, yes go right ahead. Although I wish you would bring around that nice young man sometime. I want to meet this sweetheart of yours. You are such a sweet girl; you really should start thinking of settling down."

"Mrs. Paterson, Mr. Yamamoto and I are not courting. Please don't get the wrong idea about us." Sora corrected the elderly woman. "I have to go now. I'm sure Mr. Kamiya is tired from his long trip."

"Oh yes, I'm sorry young man. I hope you like it here, and maybe we could chat a little later." The older woman waved as Sora quickly ushered Taichi up the stairway and out of the parlor.

"I have to apologize. Mrs. Paterson is a little... a little..."

"Blunt?"

"Yes. And once she gets something into her head, it's nearly impossible to get it out. Anyway the room is right this way." Sora continued as she led Tai up the long staircase and onto the second floor. The narrow hallway right off from the top of the stairs broke off in a 'T' intersection. Along the hall were various doors leading into tenants individual rooms.

"This is it." Sora said with a smile digging into her small purse pocket for the key. Opening the door she entered before Taichi. "There's a small stove over here, so you can cook your own meals, otherwise Mrs. Paterson often cooks large meals for the tenants." She continued talks as rummaged through a box.

"Sorry that it's not cleaned up better. The last tenant left in quite a hurry... and I haven't gotten around to clearing most of his stuff out. If you need any of the things left behind, feel free to use them."

"But won't he um... want his things?" Tai asked looking at her as she handed him a box of cleaned bed sheets and various things.

"Well, even if he did, I don't think he'll come back from the grave to get these few belongings. Whatever you don't need, you can drop off in my room. It's just across the hall. I'll get around to cleaning them and getting them to people who need them. If there's anything you need, just let me know. Oh and here's the room key too."

"You sure seem to have such a busy lifestyle." Tai observed as he watched the girl before him pull the key to the room off a keychain and quickly tidy up the small room for him. "You really don't need to clean all this up. I mean it's not like this is your job or anything...

"Well, it sort of is." Sora said with a sigh. 'One might think a saloon girl makes a lot of money, but not enough to survive out here. So on top of that job, I look after this place and help out Mrs. Paterson a little. Rent's free that way." She said forcing a smile. Really all she wanted to do was sleep. Today was not her day.

"Oh, before you go. About my horse."

"Sorry, I completely forgot. Well, the rent at a nicer barn is quite expensive around here; however I happen to have a little space left over where I house my horse." She told him. "I wouldn't mind you leaving her there. It's really a safe place. And the couple that lives there are willing to feed the horses on days I can't make it there."

"That would be great. But you have to let me pay for housing her or something." Taichi offered. "I know- why don't I take you out for dinner or something tonight?" He suggested not really thinking over his request. Never before had he been so straight forward with a woman.

"That's really nice, but tonight isn't going to work. I have an appointment to keep, you see Mr. Yamamoto, Matt, as you know him is actually going to treat me to diner. But I'm sure we'll meet up some other time. And you really shouldn't trouble yourself. It's nothing, besides my horse gets a little lonely at times. I'm sure she'll like a roommate for a while."

Before Taichi could say anything more, the mysterious woman with the beautiful eyes and warm smile was out of his new room and into her own. With a sigh, Taichi set the small box of objects down and sat on the bed in the corner. The room really wasn't that bad, a little on the small side; however it was only him... only him.

For the first time since he arrived in town and met up with the auburn haired temptress, he remembered why he had ventured out this far. 'I need to get back to my reason for being here. Taichi this is no time to be thinking about anything but your revenge..."

-

Walking down the stairs, Taichi reentered the parlor where he had first met the nice old lady who owned the place. Not really expecting the woman to still be in the same place two hours later, he was surprised to see her sitting looking out the window.

"Oh, Mrs. Paterson, I didn't expect you to still be here." He said after he startled them both.

"You sure know how to startle an old woman." Mrs. Paterson smiled as she laughed. "But why stand there in the door, please come in and sit down."

"Thank you ma'am, don't mind if I do." He said as he entered and sat down on the couch next to the rocking chair.

"So I hear from Sora that you're new in town." The old woman began.

"Yes, I just rode in this afternoon. I've been on the trail for a while now. And it sure is nice to get a soft bed to sleep in. By the way, have you seen Ms. Sora? Her room was locked." Taichi asked wondering if she was still around.

"Actually that young Mr. Yamamoto came around calling for her. He's such a nice young lad. She left only a few minutes before you came down. She's such a nice girl, and she works so hard here, I just wish she could settle down soon with a fine young lad." The old woman continued.

"She sure is an amazing woman." Taichi added after hearing of all the things Sora helped out with around the inn. The only thing the old woman didn't seem to realize was that Sora actually had another profession after she left the inn. Not wanting to intrude on Sora's business, he was contented to hear stories of what the beauty was like outside of her saloon life.

"She looks so good with that young Matt gentleman. I wonder why she won't take him up on all his offers to settle down. He's left her all sorts of gifts every now and then."

Taichi didn't know why the stories about Matt bothered him so much. From the moment he met the man, Taichi couldn't help but like him. Also he knew that Matt had an obsession with Sora. That was before he too met the alluring creature that was Sora. He couldn't help it. Something inside kept bothering him when she was near. It was a nice feeling, and he looked forward to it every time he talked to her.

"How about you lad? Have you ever been seeing a girl?" The old lady asked looking up at his almost day dreamy face.

"Me? Well, actually I was married." He began.

"Really? Well where is the wonderful woman you married?"

"She passed away in a horrible accident. That's sort of a reason for my traveling all this way away from the East. I needed to get away from the sadness and figure a few things out."

"Ah, I understand perfectly. It's always hard to overcome a loss in the family. That's what all three of us have in common then." The old lady mused to herself, more so then for him to hear.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my husband and son died long time ago, and well, Sora came out here under similar circumstances. Her family died in a horrible accident as well. I'm sure if you need someone to talk too about your loss, she would be able to help you."

"Thanks, I'll remember that in case I need anything. Well I think I'm going to go on a quick walk around town." He said standing up and stretching.

"Well be careful. It sounded like there was another large bar fight over at the saloon earlier. Some one even died this time. That place should be shut down, really."

Taichi nodded as he politely excused himself from the den and decided to clear his mind. Ever since he had seen her he kept thinking of her, the auburn haired saloon girl. As much as he wanted to forget about he, there was just something that couldn't let him stop him of thinking of her.

-

Sora walked down the street of town arm in arm with her blonde haired admirer. Matt was all smiles as he made small talk as he walked with the girl of his dreams. After helping back at the bar to create a believable saloon fight, Sora had agreed to let him take her out on an official date.

For the most part Sora thought Matt was a great guy. In fact if the circumstances were different, she would have even thought of taking him up on the offer of a better life as his wife. However, as it was, she was a woman on a mission.

The last attempt to find the men behind her family's killers had been nearly successful. Spending the night with the right sleaze ball could be quite beneficial, especially after she drugged the guy so much that she could easily search the apartment for clues. She was so close to finding information on the gangster's main base of operations, however the closer she got, the more dangerous it was going to be.

The incident this afternoon was proof enough of that fact.

--

A/N: Ta Da! Chapter complete. Again sorry for the delay. Working hard to keep the chapters moving! Keep a look out for the next chapter of the fic! THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!

Ja Matta Minasan!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This Public Service Announcement is brought to you by Life- it's a bitch and then you die.

People please- for the love of all that is holy, spay or neuter your cat people!

I went to a con a few weekends ago and the place was crawling with Neko-jin. Everywhere I looked, the tails, or just the ears would pop up. And then the people who actually think they are cats, and need to be petted or scratched like a cat- OMGWTF!!!1 ; Seriously I was frightened.

I'm just as much of a fangirl as the next bishie loving otaku, but the neko-jins are over populating the cons.

Ok- rant over, I know you didn't come to hear me ramble on and on about murdering annoying cat people, but for one thing- TAIORA! Well, you're in luck. I have a decently long chapter for you. Enjoy!

--

Tai spent the next hour walking the streets of the town. For the most part it was your average mining settlement. Everyday businesses lined the dirt streets. There was a general store located near the center of town, along on of the main streets. Not having much to do at the moment Taichi decided to stop there and picked up a few necessary items. Since he had found a place to stay he could now afford to attempt a normal life. However it probably would not ever be normal again...

Picking up a bar of soap and washcloths, a new shirt and some food, Taichi left the general store and continued to walk towards his place of lodging. He was relieved to find the room Sora had given him came with a bathtub. On the trail he had longed for a nice bath in a real tub. Lakes and rivers were all right, that's what he had been forced to bathe in, if he even bathed while crossing the terrain.

Not knowing how long it would take him to solve the puzzle of the scared man, he also needed to gather other supplies. His information trail had led him to this place, so it was only a matter of time before he caught up with the man he was looking for.

As he walked, the people of the town seemed normal- going about their daily business, however Tai knew first hand looks could be deceiving. Most seemed as if they startled easy. The concerned and cautious looks he received from various passersby gave him the impression that there was something below the surface. This town was hiding a secret- a bloody secret that he had to figure out if he was to avenge his wife and unborn child.

After leaving the ammunitions store, where he had bought numerous cartridges of bullets, he was about to return to his temporary home when a particular couple caught his eye. There on the other side of the street walking arm in arm was the red haired beauty and the blonde man from the tavern.

Looking closer he noticed the large smile on Matt's face as he chattered to his companion, who looked less than thrilled at the moment with the topic of conversation. Instead of paying attention to her date, the mysterious woman's eyes moved up and down the buildings as if she was looking for something.

There was something about the woman at Matt's arm that didn't add up in Tai's mind. On the outside, she was a normal looking young woman, wearing modest clothes at the moment, walking innocently enough down the street. However, the incident earlier still caused Tai to wonder why had someone tired to harm her, or was it her friend they were after... He could understand the logic behind carrying a gun, yet her skill at shooting seemed like she had a great deal of practice. And still, there was the question of why she had come out to California alone. The old woman at the house had told him she was orphaned; yet that never answered the question of the long way from her roots in the Midwest.

His attention was so engrossed in thought that he didn't even realize the blonde man was waving to him.

"Taichi!" Matt yelled across the street. Taking Sora's hand in his own again, they couple crossed the street to meet up with him.

"Hey, how are you doing?" The blonde began as the three moved to the side of the wooden walkway, as to not block the path for others.

"Miss Sora, Matt." Tai said tipping his hat in a polite greeting. "I'm doing well. Just shopping for a few necessitates." He said motioning to the bags he held in one arm.

"Sora tells me you are going to be living practically across the hall from her." He continued. "I was a little worried about you, it was good timing on your part... We've been on a walk all afternoon..." Tai only half listened to the conversation Matt was talking about. He couldn't help but watch the sharp crimson eyes of the woman standing quietly to the blonde's side, dart from building to building.

He was so wrapped up in watching her eyes that when she suddenly reached for her purse, Tai nearly jumped out of his boots. Her sudden movement startled him. Thinking she was going to pull out a weapon from the tiny purse she held, Tai's eyes went wide expecting a fight coming.

Sora couldn't help but want to laugh at the man standing next to Matt, who was still talking by the way. She had only reached inside her purse for a fan, and yet the brown haired fellow had acted like she was going to pull a gun. He certainly was an amusing guy- hell; anything was amusing at the moment. Matt was a nice person and all, yet Sora couldn't stand him when he would fluctuate from a talking spree to complete silence. At the moment the man was going on and on about the homestead he had been building a bit out of town.

Giving the newcomer a weird glance, Sora rolled her eyes and began to fan herself with the lacy fold out fan. Pretending to be interested in Matt's babbling, Sora kept up a diligent watch of the surrounding area. She knew for a fact a bunch of new guns for hire were arriving today. With the demand for hired goons on the rise, and actual skilled marksmen being hard to find, many young fighters wanted a piece of the gold mining sharp shooter reputation.

This town brought them in like no other. She had followed that exact trail to get here. The boss lived somewhere in the surrounding lands and all his men lived in the town. It was easy to find the information, however it was a challenge getting close to the top men. And Sora didn't just want to kill anyone- no she was shooting straight for the top- the man who had murdered her family and taken her entire life from her. She was determined- she would get her revenge, and it was coming soon.

"Sora, Sora? Is something wrong?" Matt asked squeezing her hand after she had not responded to his question. Forced to look away, Sora was brought back to the conversation with innocent looking eyes. Batting her eyes at the blonde, she increased her fanning.

"I'm sorry Matt, I was getting a little flustered in the heat... what were you talking about?" She asked sweetly.

"You do look a bit flushed. Maybe you should sit down or I can take you home..." Matt suggested taking a more protecting hold on her arms. Worry and concern was etched into his face as he continued to fuss over the woman at his side.

"I'll be fine... I think I should be going home though..." She said as she looked up at the man. "I can get there myself. You're so sweet and I hate to be a bother." The woman added as she smiled weakly.

"Are you sure?" The blonde questioned.

"It's alright, I'm headed that way also." Tai spoke up finally reasserting himself back into the conversation. "I'll make sure she's fine." He assured the worried man.

"All right, but can I see you tomorrow?" Matt asked taking Sora's hand in his own.

"I have to work at the saloon tomorrow." Sora said hoping to get out of another date with the man. Matt was a nice guy, however his constant gifts and flattering tended to get a little annoying. Especially when she had better things on her mind.

"Well then, I'll come visit you at work tomorrow night then." The man smiled before he placed a kiss to her cheek and bid the two Farwell.

When he was finally out of sight Sora let out a long sigh and slumped down on a wooden bench, placing her hands over her eyes. Completely forgetting about the other man, Sora began to mumble a string of curses under her breath about annoying men.

"What are you smiling at?" She asked as she opened her eyes and looked up at the man beside her. He was still caring bags of supplies, looking down at her with a weird smile on his face. He was eyeing her also, almost as if he was trying to understand her motives and actions better.

"It's just that you don't seem too interested in him, and yet you don't just come out and just tell him." Tai responded offering her his free hand to help her up. Promptly she lightly swatted his hand away and got up herself.

"I've told him many times, it's not my fault all men are stupid."

"Stupid are we?" Tai said out loud thinking it over. "You have a point. Most men are stupid. However, can you blame him?"

"See that's what I mean..." Sora said slapping her forehead with frustration. Picking up her long skirts, Sora jumped the stairs that led from the wooden sidewalk down to the road. She turned to look back at the man on the sidewalk and gave him a similar questing look. "Not all women are happy little pets to men. Some of us can survive on our own...Well did you want me to show you where your horse can stay, or are you going to stand there and look dumb the rest of the day?" She questioned him. And with that she turned and began to walk across the street and back towards the inn.

Shrugging his shoulders at the strange girl, he took off after her with a smile on his face. She sure did make things interesting, he thought.

"Hey, weren't you not feeling well or something?" He asked once he caught back up to her.

"What? Oh that." She smiled. "That was to ditch the blonde." She told him with a smug smile.

"So you really must hate the guy then. But why court him then?"

"Court him? No way... he's nice and all. However it's just business right now." She told him, the tone in her voice made Tai wonder. She sounded almost sad. Maybe regretful, he wondered. The more he spent time around this woman, the more and more interesting she became. He wanted to figure her out, why she did what she did, why her eyes looked so sad and angry most of the time. He contemplated it all as they stopped to pick up Yume and then continued to the barn.

"Well, this is it." She said motioning for him to led his horse into the barn a few blocks from their place of residence. Entering ahead of Tai, Sora happily called out to someone inside.

"I'm back Biyo, Thunder." In return a pair of snorts from the stables told Tai that she kept other horses there. When Tai and Yume made it inside, Sora was already affectionately stroking the neck of an older horse brown horse, with a smaller, younger one patiently waiting its turn for attention.

"I'm sorry I didn't come yesterday to talk with you, can you forgive me Thunder?" She asked as she gave the horse a hug, and then went to pat the other.

"You can put her here next to Thunder's pen. It's empty, I've been using it as storage really." Sora said as she left her horses and went to begin cleaning out the pen for the other horse.

"Are they both your horses?" Tai asked looking at the sleek white coat of the younger and then to the older, bigger horse that had a streak of white down his brow.

"Yes, old Thunder here has been with me from the beginning." She said picking up a saddle and moving it so Yume could have room to move in the pen.

"Do you want some help?" Tai asked as he watched her pick up the second and move it over next to the other.

"I got it. You might want to take off her bridle and saddle, give the thing a rest." Sora said motioning to his horse.

"Yeah," He nodded in agreement. "Well Yume, it's break time old girl." Tai smiled and patted her neck.

"There are combs in that trunk on the other side of the pen." Sora called out to him as she took up a pitchfork and scooped fresh hay into each pen. "There, that should keep you all fed."

While Sora tended to the horses, Tai went in search of the trunk she had mentioned. Opening the metal clips, he opened the old looking trunk. Inside were various horse items like old shoes, blankets, and medicines. "You must really know what you're doing with horses to have collected all this." He said as he searched for the combs.

"What?" She asked not hearing him over the sounds of hay being moved.

Tai didn't respond to her right away. His attention was suddenly drawn to an old photograph inside the trunk. Underneath the combs was a black and white picture of a smiling little girl on a horse. Tai recognized both the girl and horse to be Sora and Thunder, however there were more people in the photo. Two men and a woman stood to the side; all were smiling and looking at the camera. One man was holding onto a woman, presumably Sora's mother and father, yet it was the other man caught Tai's eye most.

The face was staring back at him. The same eyes... only younger and with out the disfigurement of his nose... however it was him. A burning hatred began to boil in the bottom of his stomach as he quickly reached for his gun. She knew him, he was in her picture... that couldn't be just a coincident, her being here in this town, the info trail leading to this town, and here there was proof that she knew the man who had taken his life.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked as she put down the pitchfork and made her way over to Tai who seemed to have frozen in place. He didn't answer her when she called twice, thinking something was wrong, she stopped behind him. She could feel the tension that was almost radiating from him, his skin looked white as she bent down to give him a poke.

Tai's reflexes took over from that point. Suddenly, as she was about to touch his shoulder, he swung around and tackled her to the ground. The two rolled a while fighting in the hay until Tai seemed to get the upper hand.

Sora fell back flat on her back in the hay, the man above her held her down with his arms and legs. His sheer body weight compared to her slight figure also aided him pinning her down. Pulling his gun, Tai pointed it under her chin. The look in his eyes scared Sora and only increased her thrashing.

"Stop moving or I'll shoot." He warned her. "I said stop! I think you're going to answer a few questions for me right now. I don't want to hurt you, but anyone who gets in the way of my revenge won't be treated lightly."

"So he sent you too?" She hissed back at the man as she let up on struggling. Taking in the surroundings, Sora looked quickly at her options. 'I shouldn't have let my guard down.' She berated herself as she assessed the situation.

"Sent me? Who? No one sent me after anyone." Tai said thankful she was settling down. Taking a steadying breath he looked down at the woman beneath him. Some time in the struggle he had managed to rip a bit of her dress near her legs, where he pinned her thighs to the ground straddling her with his own legs. Her collar had also come undone, and more of her chest was exposed to him. Blushing slightly as be accidentally got a better look at her undergarments, Tai was distracted and Sora saw her chance.

Closing her eyes she hit her forehead against his, causing him to drop his gun and reach for his head. Giving him a swift knee to the lower stomach, Sora pushed him to his feet and rolled off to the side.

The attack came quickly; Tai didn't know what was going on as he felt his headache, and then his stomach throb with pain. Back on his feet he staggered a bit backwards towards the horse pens.

"Thunder!" Was all Sora had to utter and the old horse quickly backed out of his pen and gave the brown haired man a light kick with his hind legs. The pain soared through Tai's body as he went face first into the pile of hay, thankfully cushioning his fall.

Brushing herself off, Sora retrieved his pistol from the ground and turned it on it's owner. Coming closer Sora knelt down and rolled him on his back.

"Now, let's try this again. You're answering the questions this time." She said with venom in her voice. "Did he send you here to kill me too?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about..." Tai groaned as he tried to curl up into a ball and forget the pain.

"Sure you don't. Maybe a bullet or two in the knee cap will help jog your memory." She said as she pointed the gun at him. "Talk!"

"I'm not after... you. I came to this town...to find a man."

"Why'd you attack me?"

"The picture... the one in your trunk..." He coughed. "The man in the picture..."

Sora stayed looking down at him with disbelief in her eyes. Tai finally opened his eyes and looked up at her. The pain shooting through his body still stung, however at the moment he needed her to believe him.

"It's the truth... he... he has a broken looking nose now... I came here looking for him..."

"How do you know him? Tell me that!"

"He... murdered my... my family."

--

A/N: Sorry for the wait, and I guess I should apologize for the cliff hanger

Well you'll have to just suffer it through. Shouldn't be too long for an update, plus the reviews help with the motivation. Thanks for the reviews by the way. I'll see ya later!

Ja Ne Minasan!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So ready for some Taiora moments? I bet you are. After all that's why you're here ne?

So, the fluff has been slow to work its way into the fic- however there is plenty located in this chapter- and the several chapters to come!

Thanks for the reviews and enjoy!!

-

A choked sob came out of the red head's throat. Backing away from the man who lay on the ground, her legs went weak and she fell to the ground.

Taichi was silent as he stared in confusion at the sight before him. The woman before him was on her hands and knees, her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body.

"I'm sorry..." her voice quivered as she spoke. Looking up to him, her crimson orbs welled with tears.

"You know the man who killed my family... where is he?" Tai asked with both anger and pain in his voice. The pain from his body throbbed due to his current condition, however his heart's pain out weighted anything physical could ever create.

His eyes shot daggers towards her as she agonized with her own heart.

"Answer me." Tai snarled as he forced himself on to his knees. Moving slowly on his knees over towards her Tai placed his hand on her shoulders. Unable to control his rage, his hands gripped her almost violently. Shaking her, Tai tried to get her to spill her information.

"The man who killed my life is in that photo; now tell me where he is!" He spoke through his teeth as his anger rose with her continued sobs.

"I... I can't..." She choked out. "I know how you feel."

"You know how I feel? No you don't! No one could. He murdered my family and ruined my life!"

"He took my life as well." She cried looking back into his eyes. "He befriended my family and then he murdered them all... I was... I was only nine when he left me for dead too..."

Tai immediately loosened his grip on her shoulders. The pain that reflected in her orbs mirrored his own, and he knew she was telling the truth. However, something inside of him did not want to acknowledge anyone else could understand his pain.

Maybe it was that he had not fully recovered from the shock of his family's death yet, or it could have been his desperation to find some kind of justice, any kind of solution to the pain he felt...

"You're lying!" He hissed.

"No I'm not... on my back, you'll find his calling card..." She told him tears spilling out of her eyes.

Tai did not know what she was talking about, however the curiosity got the better of him. When she turned with her back facing him, he pulled at the fabric until the pale skin of her back was exposed. Tai could not help but gasp at the scar that he found marking her lower back. It was similar in shape to the many gashes that were left on his wife's body, and bodies of other victims of the man he was in search.

Following reports of hideous murders and fires had lead Taichi to this spot, however he had never really taken the strange marks as anything important. A survivor was something he had not found before now.

His hands touched the smooth gash that had healed over with time. As his fingers touched the scar, the agony inside his heart and mind grew. He was not the first to suffer because of this man, nor was he the last.

Sora's tears continued as the stranger touched her old wounds.

"'Please, you have to tell me where he is... I can stop him and avenge us both." Tai said in a sympathetic voice, his fingers still on the scars.

"Don't you think I've been trying to get him?" She sobbed. "I've been here for so long and gotten so close, yet he's always one step ahead of me... he's taunting me... I've tried...." Sora couldn't take the pent up pain and frustration anymore. Letting her walls break down around her, she wept. Her fists balled up tightly turning a white shade of rage.

The events of the day had hit both sides of the emotional spectrum. One moment she was strong and fearless like in the street, handing a gun with precision and skill; and now she was before him shedding tears of utter pain and sadness. Tai knew how she felt; there was even a part of him that felt she had suffered more than he had seeing her like this...

Leaning down closer to the crying woman, his heart took over as his head tried to process everything that was happening. Before he knew what he was doing himself, Tai placed a kiss to the base of the scar.

Her sobs ended abruptly as she gasped at the feel of the kiss. Not fully understanding his motives, Sora let out a small laugh.

"You're the first person to not be disgusted with them." She laughed as the tears continued at a slower pace. Feeling the first true affectionate touch in years, Sora could not help but feel her loneliness sneaking back up on her.

"We'll work together. He won't get away with the things he's put people through for much longer. I promise I'll help you." He said as he buttoned the back of the dress. "But first I need to see a doctor." He groaned as he let himself drop back onto the hay.

Sora, after drying her eyes, turned to look at Tai. She had definitely never met someone like him before. Just the way he had kissed her scar made her feel she was not as alone as she thought. He was here, and with two heads working together to put a stop to the murders they could succeed.

Getting to her feet, Sora offered the injured man a hand. Supporting a good amount of his weight on her shoulder, Sora and Tai walked back to the inn and up the stairs.

"I have medicines to treat your bruises in my room." She said as she unlocked her room and helped Tai inside. Her room had a great deal more furnishing than his room; however, for as long as she had been living in this town, her room contained few decorations. In the corner near the door, a chair was piled full with dresses she appeared to be mending.

Setting him to rest on the bed near the window, Sora went into the bathroom and began fumbling around for medical supplies.

While she did this, Tai took a better look at her room. Near the foot of the bed, pushed into a corner was a desk. Papers and objects littered the top. Maps and photos from sheriff offices lined the walls nearby. Sitting there and looking at her possessions did not tell him much more about the woman he was so curious about.

Waiting for her to return from the bathroom, Tai's feet tapped against a wooden object sticking partially out from underneath her bed. Looking down, he was surprised to see a small open trunk of weapons and ammunition. The array of small pistols, derringers and various other kinds of easy concealable weapons made him wonder if this town was that dangerous.

"I've made many enemies." She spoke up as she returned to his side with a basin of water and supplies. As she had returned, Sora saw him looking over her weapon supply.

"How?" Taichi asked looking up at the potentially deadly woman before him.

"Well you saw first hand how one bad move and I had an assassin after me. I've had to lay low for the past week or so after I got some information out of some guy working for 'him.'" She replied as she set the basin down on the nightstand next to the head of the bed. Dipping a clean washcloth into the cool water, she moved to take off Tai's hat.

"I guess I owe you an apology for getting all worked up for a moment. Thunder didn't mean anything either, he's just a little protective sometimes." She told him as she washed the dirt and now dried blood from his face. For the next few moments, Sora gently tended his newly acquired bruises and a few old ones in silence.

"All the things I know about him are from another life time. My family had a small farm in the Midwest. We were not rich, but we were happy. My mother, my father, Thunder and me- it was right before harvest that my father found a man nearly dead on the way home from town. He became like part of the family, working on the farm. It wasn't much after we sold the year's wheat harvest when he suddenly changed. He had always been creepy before, however he grew to be down right terrifying." She stopped as she dipped the cloth back into the water. "He just snapped one day. Father was gone at the time; that man was smiling as he came after us. And when father did return, it was... it was too late."

Tai lightly took her hand in his own. He knew it was hard to talk about something like this, and yet she had trusted him enough to tell him.

"I survived, after all the things he did to me... I crawled out of the burning house only to find him smiling down at me. I will never forgive him as long as I live. With every breath I take I swear I will slit his throat personally."

"So how did you find out he was in this town?" Taichi asked quietly as she now began to bandage his head.

"I was in a hospital for the next year; the doctors didn't think I was going to survive with the loss of blood and trauma... I showed them. I was on my own and that's when I first overheard information on a case similar to mine. However the family all died. I took everything I owned and followed the reports, surviving anyway I could. If you can believe, I can be quite persuasive and soon I had solid information to go on. That's what led me here."

"I bet," Tai chuckled at that comment thinking of the poor man who messed with the beautiful, but deadly woman tending him now.

Tai blushed furiously as she began to unbutton the top of his shirt, as if it was nothing improper. Once it was unbuttoned fully, she pushed the cloth off his shoulders and stood up.

"Lay down on your stomach. Thunder and I must have done a number on your back." She said as she put away the roll of white cloth bandages. Tai followed her orders with a little hesitation at first. However, he needed to know if there was something dislocated back there. His ribs and neck still throbbed.

Her soft hands worked across his back in a massaging motion. As she worked the tight muscles of his shoulders and neck, Tai couldn't help letting out a soft groan. The way her hands moved was a delicious feeling, thousands of times better than the pain, which left his mind completely.

"Your shoulders are really tense..." She told him as she continued to work his back trying to get him to relax. "There doesn't seem to be any broken ribs, or anything too serious."

"That's good." Tai tried to say, however it came out in another moan. Thinking for a moment about the situation made his cheeks stain in a blush again. He was lying on her bed, half clothed- she was kneeling over him, now on the bed with a ripped dress.

'God what am I thinking?' He groaned inwardly. 'But it feels so... right being here with her... I thinking I'm going crazy... I have to get out of here and soon before I loose it.'

Sora's hands continued to work their magic down his back; Tai could not remember the last time he felt so relaxed. Riding on the open frontier for months must have really done a number on his body.

Sora was finished with the massage when she heard the sounds of snores coming from the man on the bed. With a sigh and a disbelieving shake of her head, she found that Tai had fallen asleep.

"You must have been really tired." She laughed lightly poking at the muscular frame of her newest ally. After attempting to wake him, Sora decided to let the man sleep. Taking off his boots and rolled him until he was under the covers.

Stepping away from the bed, Sora took this opportunity to get a better glimpse at the man in her bed. He was not overly handsome like Matt's smooth face and light hair. However, he wasn't bad looking. The brown haired man had more of a boyish charm than a rugged man's physic. Yet he was built nicely. The muscles that had rippled and relaxed under her touch had caused her heartbeat to rise considerably during the massage.

As if he knew someone was thinking about him, Taichi rolled over in bed and nuzzled into the pillows. His smile was what got her.

"I don't know about you Tai..." She said as she went over to her desk and sat down. "My heart is trying to tell me something new every time I see your smile or your intense eyes... this can only be a bad thing right now." She decided in a quite whisper.

Looking outside the sun was beginning its descent into the horizon. Many of the shops and houses had lit their candles and oil lamps in preparation of the night. Sora followed suit and the glow of the oil lamp on her desk illuminated the room. Looking around Sora reminded herself she was only here temporarily. With Tai's help, maybe she could even escape this city and her life there sooner than expected.

"But first things first." She said pulling out a piece of paper from inside her desk drawer. On the list were several names of supposed high-ranking members on the inside and close to her true target. If she played her cards right, in a few days she could have all the information she needed about the location of the man who had ruined so many lives.

"I will get my revenge, one way, or another." She said setting the paper down and returning to the bathroom.

-

A/N:

Cliffhanger...what's going to happen next?

Ask again later....

Will there be more Taiora fluff in the next chapter?

Signs point to yes...

Can they work together and get the bad guy?

Highly probable...

Will Sora and Tai live happily ever after?

You'll have to wait and see!

Thanks for the reviews! And I'll see you next time!

Ja ne mina-san!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:

Hello all-

I'd like to take this time and thank all the reviewers. I appreciate them! Keep them coming guys!

Long story short- here's the next chapter! Enjoy.

-

Tai was warm and content. He felt the clean sheets around him and a soft mattress underneath his body. It had been so long sleeping on the ground that any kind of mattress would have been acceptable. That need only made this one seem all the better. The smooth pillows that were around him also were quite enjoyable.

Pulling the object to his side closer to his body, Tai sighed with contentment at the warmth he found. The silkiness of the object only added in his yearning to feel with his hands. Moving in bed, Taichi came to an abrupt stop when he felt a warmth breath on his hand.

He knew the object in his arms was no longer a pillow as a feminine voice mumbled something before nuzzling deeper into the bed sheets. Taking stock of the current situation, yesterday's compromising situation would have looked like nothing with her legs intertwined with his, and his arms tightly around her.

No matter how much he wanted to pull away quickly, the warm feeling inside his heart seemed to keep him in place. He found her attractive- that was not the problem. Heck, he would have to be dead to not find the auburn haired woman anything but a rare beauty. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on.

The problem was that while he felt right having her close and holding her in his arms, he knew that he could not, at least not feel totally comfortable just yet... He just was not ready to find a new woman in his heart, especially not one that was limitedly clothed and lying beneath him.

There lying on her stomach was the mysterious woman he had met only the other day, and yet he was smitten. His eyes looked at her peaceful face still caught up in sleep. Following the soft trail of crimson locks, he found himself looking at his hand's current perch.

Softly cupping the swell of her chest, Tai's cheeks burnt a bright red. Feeling uncomfortable with the situation he quickly, yet as naturally as possible rolled off from her, and withdrew his hands from underneath her body.

Feeling the weight on her back suddenly removed, Sora gave off a sleepy whimper and attempted to snuggle back into the warmth of the bed. Finding that the warmth was gone, the red head rolled to her back and stretched her arms above her head.

Noticing the figure sitting on the bed, she smiled remembering the events of yesterday. 'He fell asleep before I could even finish tending his bruises.' She mused.

"So did you sleep well?" She asked as she looked up at his deep brown eyes from her position on the bed.

Tai could not help but watch her muscles flex in her arms and throughout her body as she stretched. She moved like a sleepy cat not wanting to awake fully from a nice nap. He hated to admit it; however, he could not remember sleeping so well.

The way he had his arms around her felt almost natural- like the two almost were meant to be together in that way. Yet, something within his mind felt like he was betraying the memory of his family with all the thoughts he had been having recently.

"Tai, can I ask you something?" Sora's voice called as she slowly got up from the soft white sheets. Watching her stand from his position sitting on the bed, he nodded in approval.

"Who is Mimi?" She questioned sitting next to him on the bed. "In... in your sleep you called out to her... I was just curious..." The look on his face told Sora of the immense pain the question brought. Placing a supportive hand on his, she gave him a compassionate squeeze.

"She must have been special... I can tell you loved her very much. I'm sorry for bringing back unhealed wounds, excuse me." She said as she was about to get up and rush out of the room. However, Tai's hand grabbing her arm forced her to stay sitting next to him.

"She was my wife." He said with a faint, sad smile. "We were going to have a baby before everything stopped..." He trailed off and a silence filled the room for a time.

"It must have been nice to have someone you loved and be loved in return... I've... I've not felt that for a long time." Sora said quietly. "I doubt I'll ever feel that again..."

"If you want to let your heart feel that, you've got to be honest with yourself and go for it." Tai said with a sigh. He had been telling himself that he could love again, and that Mimi would want him to find happiness... yet the words were not that convincing even to him.

"Not for a saloon girl. Falling in love is something I can't do, and having anyone really serious wanting a...a..." She stopped giving herself a mental slap. "Enough of the depressing stuff." She added standing up and walking over to the chair piled with clothes.

"So partner, there's a list of men and random information I've been able to compile about the possible whereabouts of the group and things like that." She said as she grabbed a frilly number and walked into the bathroom. "You might want to read it over and add it to your information. Maybe we'll find something."

Tai watched the natural sway of her hips before she disappeared behind the bathroom door. Having to shake himself out of his daydream of the beautiful saloon girl, Tai took a calming breath.

'What is she doing to me?' He wondered trying to forget the sensual spell that had affected him the moment he first laid eyes on the crimson haired girl.

Getting up from the bed, he walked over to the information she had mentioned. Her information gathering skills were amazing he thought as he read the descriptions and accounts she had gotten out of countless men.

He was so engrossed with the information in the notebooks, that he did not hear the bathroom door open or the rustle of fabric coming up behind him.

"Tai?" Her voice startled him a bit and he jumped.

"Ah... you scared me." He said as he turned around. His eyes nearly bulged out when he saw the extremely low cut of the dress she wore. Smiling sweetly, Sora turned around.

"Could you tie me up in back?" She asked of him.

Nodding, Tai finished lacing the back of the dark garment. He had never seen the type of garment she wore, it was shaped like a corset, however the lacey bodes was on the outside. His experiences with those things were always worn under long dresses like the ones his wife use to wear.

"Is this your first time lacing a corset? You need to tie it tight." She smiled at the looseness he had drawn the fabric to her body. "Just give it a good, hard tug. I always have problems with this little number."

Tai closed his mouth in fear he would make a comment about the 'littleness' of the dress she wore. It was very seductive and alluring, everything that she seemed to possess already, however the garment left little of her shapely body to the imagination. The shortness skirt accented her long legs, clad in dark stockings. The curves she possessed were also well prominent in the tight number.

"You can go a bit tighter- I thought tying a little corset would be no problem." She smiled amused at the silence from her new partner.

"Do all women out here wear these kinds of things?" Tai questioned as he tightened the article of clothing as tight as he could get it.

"Only if they want to eat and keep their animals fed." Sora said as she turned and adjusted the skintight top of the dress. Shaking her hips to get the fabric of the skirt to puff out a bit, she smiled. "It may be a man's world- however that doesn't mean I can't lighten their wallets a bit with a few blinks of my eyes and a provocative flash of skin." She added returning to the bathroom where she continued her preparation.

"Oh, that reminds me... you might want to get yourself more acquainted with the saloon and surrounding buildings today. There is going to be a big gambling session tomorrow with the regular boys. They always seem to stop by on Thursdays for a drink after they've finished terrorizing the surrounding territory." She said all lightness of her voice gone. She had turned serious in moods once again. "I'll be gone for most of the day today, so you'll have to ask Joe for help if you need it."

"Where are you going to be?" Tai asked a bit curious.

"Well I'm heading off to the saloon in an hour or so. On my way, I need to stop by the stable and feed the boys. Then I've got an appointment with Matt for the rest of the day." She said as she finished her makeup application and returned to sit on the bed. Bending over, Sora pulled a pair of high-heeled boots out from underneath the bed. While she was still bent over, she made a point of opening the box of guns she had and retrieved a few times.

Tai watched as she loaded the derringer and slipped it under a garter high on her thigh.

"If you want, I can feed the horses, you are letting Yume stay there. It's the least I can do." Tai spoke up, partly wanting to end the silence that had taken over the room.

"Sure, that does actually help me out." She smiled standing up now fully dressed. Walking over to the corner of the room, she pulled a pair of keys out of a small silk purse. Throwing him a keychain, she picked up a long shall and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"I'll see you at the saloon then." She smiled as she walked out of the room, "Oh, and lock the door before you go."


	7. Chapter 7

Joe was already standing behind the bar counter wiping glasses for the day when Sora entered the saloon.

"Morning Sora." Joe smiled as she sat down in silence. It was a rare occasion that the bar was empty- she enjoyed the quiet before the long days of dealing with perverts and frustrated men began.

"Morning Joe." She sighed and slumped on the counter. Joe took this as her request for a morning drink. Pouring a small amount of liquid into a glass, he set it down in front of her. "Thanks, you knew exactly what I needed." She smiled as she straightened up and tipped the glass to her lips.

"You know Sora, this kind of lifestyle isn't forever. You can quit. There are other ways of making a living out here now." The blue haired man spoke in a supportive tone. "And it's not like you're alone anymore. You have Matt and me to help where ever we can."

"Joe..." Sora stoppedand looked up at the man skeptically for a moment. "How do you know if you're in love?"

"Love?" The man was taken back a bit. "So Matt finally broke you down with all his proposals?" He smirked giving her a light nudge.

"God no... It's just that, well I wanted to know..." Getting a little frustrated with the smile on Joe's face, she growled. "Just forget it! Never mind, I'm going in the back. Call me when you need me."

Joe watched the young woman as she exited the main saloon hall. She seemed a little strange this morning, he thought as he wondered what could have brought on such a question from Sora.

'Love?' He pondered. 'I do hope she does find someone someday... she deserves a good life. Don't lose hope Sora, I'll do everything I can to help you.'

-

Seeming to get out of her early morning funk, Sora was up front serving drinks and chatting with the saloon patrons when they began to arrive. The mornings were usually slow, only the night workers were out for a drink after another long night of mining, or what ever it was these men found employment.

However, things always picked up around noon and later. The small kitchen staff at the saloon was always bogged down with people wanting to get food, a drink and maybe if they were luck a little attention from one of the seven saloon girls that worked there. Nothing too demanding however, it was only the middle of the day, plus these crowds did not tip as well as they later shifts.

Sora continued to go from table to table setting large mugs of amber liquid before the 'gentlemen' with a smile. Of course, it was a false smile. Everyday, well nearly everyday, she would walk the rounds of the saloon catering to worthless lowlifes and perverts. She had to admit she hated this job, however there was nothing else in the town that paid as well and had benefits in the form of easily obtainable information on her quest.

However, it wasn't until recently she really despised her job and now... since he had arrived she had begun to hate herself. His smile and those eyes were just so pure and different. She couldn't understand it. She had seen similar emotions in other eyes, yet there was something extra in his...

'Taichi.' She sighed as she picked up a tray of beer and food and made her way to a table where a game of cards was in play. Setting the items in front of their owners, she could not help but cringe as a stray hand made its way to her rear. Containing her anger she made her way quickly back towards the bar.

"Hard day?" Joe asked with a sympathetic smile.

"How'd you guess?" She asked sarcastically. "I'm just feeling a bit burnt out lately...I'll get over it." She reassured her friend. 'I have to.' She added to herself as she took out a handkerchief from her small purse. Wiping the few beads of sweat off her forehead, she took one last calming breath and continued serving the drinks like usual.

Glancing towards the door as she heard the hinges creak, she noticed the man who had started the weird feelings only days before. What was it about him, she wondered. Maybe it was because he hadn't treated her like a saloon girl when they first met. Sure, he stared; however, that was normal reaction for most men.

She cursed her unique features; they made her one of the more 'desirable' girls at the place. Some of the other women who worked at the saloon were constantly busy 'servicing' customers, however that just was not something Sora wanted to do. On occasion, when it worked to her advantage she would do a little extra- especially with members of the gang showed up- many of them didn't seem to survive the nights... and then there was Matt.

When she had first arrived, Matt was the first person she bumped into, literally. He was walking down the street when she and her horse walked into town. Sora was so excited to finally arrive in the town where all her leads had led, and she did not even notice the blonde until they hit.

After he helped her back to her feet, he insisted on buying her dinner; ironically, the only restaurant open at that time in the morning was the very saloon she presently found herself serving drinks. That was the first time she met Joe as well. The three instantly became good friends. Joe offered her a job since she made it clear she would fund herself while she stayed in town.

She started as a simple waitress, similar to what she was doing now. However, she quickly learned of ways to make more than tips and minimum wage from the seasoned saloon girls. It was something that didn't appeal to her, however cash was in low supply when she decided to follow their directions.

When Matt heard of her plan from another loose saloon girl, he was against her going through with it. One thing led to another as the two verbally spared and ended up in one of the rooms upstairs. After that, Matt was one of her only regulars.

It was well known that Sora was highly selective. Moreover, the lucky few that did get a chance, none complained. Matt never did. She didn't even know why he insisted in paying anymore- there was just something that made her feel cheap by accepting his money. That's exactly why she never charged him anymore.

For some reason her thoughts traveled to the events of last night and this morning. Tai's touch had been heavenly. Although they didn't do anything but sleep, she had never felt that way before... waking up besides someone who hadn't just used her and her body. Taichi was... different.

Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Sora forced herself to return to the now- working at the saloon.

Greeting Taichi with a smile, the two met up again at the bar. Tai was talking with Joe when Sora returned to pick up the next round of drinks for the thirsty customers.

"Did you find you're way here alright?" She inquired as she loaded her tray with four beers.

"Yep, no sweat, oh I still have your keys."

"Could you hold on to them for a little bit? I can't sit and talk right now." She said but was cut off when several men let out a holler from a table. "Got to run, I'll talk to you later." A nod was all he could do before she was gone in a whirl of skirts.

Turing around so he could just watch her for a moment, Taichi let out a sigh as he watched the way the men were following her every move with hungry eyes and loose hands. His hands soon balled into fists, as he wanted to punch every one of the sleaze bags.

Out of nowhere, a calming hand placed itself over his tense fists. Tai looked up and saw a sad smile on the blue haired bar tenders face.

"Sora's a tough kid. She knows when they cross the line, and believe me she lets them know real quick." Joe tried to assure him. "She wanted to do this, I don't like her doing a job like this... but have you tried to stop her? She's got a mean punch and the most stubborn personality I've ever seen."

All Tai could do was calm down- Joe had a point. She was not helpless. Sora had survived so much; she could deal with a few perverts. It was just that it hurt to watch her subject herself to such a waste. Tai sighed and returned to his drink. After a few minutes of thinking, Tai decided he needed to get out of the noisy bar. Standing up abruptly, he did not realize the stranger standing behind him holding a full mug of beer. His movements caused the man to lose hold on his beer and it spilt all over him and the floor.

Tai didn't have time to react- after standing he found himself gripped by the collar of his shirt and feet dangling off the ground. The other man was angry- his eyes stated that clearly.

"You little punk!" The man spat at him. Tightening his hands on Tai's collar, he began to curse loudly. "I should kill you right here. You wasted my drink!"

"I'm sorry... I'll buy you another round." Tai managed to choke out from his position.

"It's the principle of the thing- first you're in my spot, all smug with your pretty face, and now you spill my beer. I should mess up your face for that... you'd be more considerate next time."

"Um... excuse me..." Joe tried to interfere from behind the safe confines of his bar, but was silenced by an angry look for the rather large man.

Tai closed his eyes and waited for the punch to come, however it never did. Instead, he found himself gently lowered to the ground and let go. Opening his eyes slowly, as if waiting for some kind of retribution, he noticed Sora had saved him.

"Oh be nice Jackson, he's new here." She spoke in a soft, breathy voice. Placing a hand seductively on the man's cheek, Sora was able to diffuse the conflict in no time. "Besides, I'm so much more fun to play with- no need in getting all bloody and worked up over a spilt beer." Batting her eyelashes sealed the deal as she entranced the man and those around her.

Turning slightly to make sure Tai hadn't been harmed, she looked over to Joe who set two glasses of beer on the bar. Giving him a small smile, she handed one glass to the now pacified man, and took the other herself.

"Shall we?" She asked moving her hand across his chest, swaying her hips a bit to draw the man away from the bar, and other possible fights.

Tai stood there still in shock. One moment he was going to be given the beating of his life, and now he was watching the other man sit down with Sora in his lap... a surge of anger and something else rose inside.

"Just leave her be, she saved your life there." Came the voice of Joe again. "That man's killed at least ten people in the last month with his bare hands... I wouldn't go picking fights now."

"But... Sora..."

-

Tai was forced to let the issue drop. Sora had spent an hour at the table with the man and a group of his friends. They played cards and drank, Tai couldn't help but smile as he saw her cleaning their wallets due to the fact she was the only one not intoxicated. Playing cards with drunks looked very profitable.

'She sure is something. Not at all shy about getting money out of them one way or the other...'

As the day progressed, Sora had found some time to sit at the bar and converse with both Tai and Joe. The three got along great, and they talked of normal things. It almost felt like the burden of revenge was taken off their backs for a time. Tai had not let himself relax this much and actually laugh wholeheartedly since the incident.

Sora seemed to feel similar. There was something endearing in Taichi, however, she could not place it exactly. She could see herself living a happy life with the man sitting to her side- and it scared her. She had lived a tainted life for so long- would he even care about a dirty saloon girl? Class-wise, she knew he was from a rich family. His mannerisms and just his politeness told her he was different. In addition, there she was at the very bottom of society- a comfort girl. Granted she did not work as much as the other ladies in the saloon, however she still was one- nothing could change that...

"Sora?" She was taken from her thoughts by his voice again... the beautiful voice of the stranger who had become something more to her.

"What?"

"I was wondering if you were feeling well? You were quiet all of a sudden."

"Oh, I'm fine. Really, I was just thinking about things." She replied placing a hand on his. She did not realize she had done this until Joe gave her a funny smile. Quickly taking her hand off Tai's she avoided eye contact with both men.

"I got more info on the big party tomorrow night." She said. "The bozo who was about to beat you up, well he's planning to join up with the group. It seems they've been loosing quite a few members lately." Sora added with a smile.

"Gee, I wonder why?" Joe chuckled. He had to get creative in the past month or two- all the deaths to cover up and make it look like bar fights were responsible. To this Sora gave an innocent smile.

"I was thinking we could get someone on the inside... it'd be easier now more than ever." She continued.

"You know Matt will do anything for you- and he's a pretty good shot."

"I was thinking about it. I'd rather go myself... but that's kind of impossible." She sighed.

"I'll go." Tai interrupted. "I was in law enforcement. We trained for these kind of operations, why send someone who isn't involved in this on the inside?"

"You want to do it?" Sora asked looking at the spikey haired man for the first time since the look from Joe over their little moment. "I guess you would be better suited for it than Matt."

"Did I hear my name being called?" A voice from behind them asked. "It's always an honor to be the topic of conversation, especially if I'm being talked about by a beauty such as yourself."

Sora turned and was greeted with a bouquet of roses from the blonde.

"For you my love." He smiled as she took the flowers. Sitting down in the stool on her free side, Matt ordered a round of drinks. "So what's on the topic of the day? My dashing good looks? How about you accepting this." He asked as he pulled a medium sized box from a bag near his feet.

Instantly a slight blush rose on her already painted face. She always felt weird when he showered her with gifts. Having no choice but to open the box placed in front of her, Sora undid the bow. Lifting the top of the box off, and pushing the paper away, she found an elegant Chinese dress inside.

"Oh my..." Was all she said as she lifted the silk material in her hands. "It's beautiful... Matt, I can't accept this... it's too much." She quickly turned to him.

"Nonsense. It is a gift. I demand you accept it, and maybe wear it tonight?" He smiled a cute grin at her. She liked that about Matt- she could not help but like his happy attitude and caring heart- not to mention the physical attractiveness. Sora was torn.

Looking on at the two who sat next to him, Tai continued to nurse his drink. Why did he feel so...jealous when Matt was around? After all, he had no 'claim' to Sora, and the way it sounded from both Sora and Joe, Matt did not either.

"Is it time already?" She asked looking at Matt's watch. "Wow, the day's pretty much gone."

"I did come a little early, but with such a goddess waiting, how could I say away?" Matt asked kissing her hand.

"Just give me a minute to change. I'll be back." She said standing up and taking the dress and flowers to the stairs. Disappearing behind a door, the two boys returned their attention to the bar.

"So, what were you all discussing before I arrived?" Matt asked. "I heard something about some kind of job. If Sora needs me, I'll do what ever it takes for her."

"That shouldn't be necessary. I already said I would go." Tai said in a tone that shocked even him. It sounded almost snappy, and proud to be the one chosen for the mission.

"Oh, well then good luck." Matt said catching on to what was more than likely happening. The man next to him was also smitten by the red head. 'Competition eh?' Matt thought to himself. He liked this new comer, they seemed to get along very well. However, when it came to the particular girl he had been pursuing for over a year- there was no room for friendship. 'Sorry friend, this is one battle I will not lose.'

There was silence between the two sitting in front of him. The blue haired man adjusted his eyeglasses and gave a little sigh. He knew exactly what was going on now. They were both attracted to Sora. In a way, he was glad that these two seemed to actually care about the person Sora was and not just her looks. Yet, things were going to get very complicated- very fast.

A/N:

I thought I had to throw in some Matt/Tai tensions... add to the story and perchance get avid Taiora fans out and convince them to review ;

Don't make me make this a Matt/Sora!

Just kidding- I wouldn't do that... or would I???

I could, it's just that I don't totally buy that couple. Sora and Tai just work better, I'm sure you all agree. If not, then why are you reading this fic in the first place?

Thanks for those of you who do take time and review- I like hearing comments.

And to prove I do listen, did you notice Sora feelings in this chapter?

It was brought to my attention that I had been neglecting to fully expose Sora's feelings for the chocolate eyed, spikey haired stranger we all love- I had hinted at problems before, hopefully it's a little clearer after this and the next chapter- but you'll just have to wait for that chapter...

Until then,

Ja Ne Mina


	8. Chapter 8

A/n: Sorry for the wait. End of the school semester fun was more pressing than typing. If I had my way, it would have been the other way around.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great holiday season- no matter what holiday you celebrate.

Here is the next chapter of the fic- I have less than three months to finish this fic- so be on the look out for more frequent updates! Fun! Then I am off to the land of anime!

So enjoy!!

-

The two stayed silent as they waited for Sora to return. Even after the object of their affections returned, the two found that it was difficult to speak.

There before them was the vista of a goddess. Her flawless body was covered in blue and gold silk. The small patterns in the fabric seemed to entrance the entire room.

Blushing a little, Sora smiled and turned around so all three at the bar could assess the dress.

"Well?" She asked a little worried something was wrong. The faces all three wore made her try to stifle the laughter that threatened to flow.

"You… you look…" Tai began to mutter finally waking up from the dream before him.

"Like an angel. It looks even better than I had dreamed." Matt cut in standing up quickly. Coming closer to Sora, he suavely kissed the back of her hand. "I couldn't dream a more beautiful woman."

"You really think it looks alright? I'm not sure it's really my color. Tai, do you like it?" She asked looking over at the other man sitting at the bar. She did not know why she had asked such a question, and specifically directing it to her new partner. However, there was not taking it back.

Tai's eyes went wide at the question directed his way. He would have been content to stay there and silently bask in her beauty. Things would have stayed that way, except for the question.

All eyes focused on the brown haired man and his silence. A faint blush rose on his cheeks as he lifted his arm to scratch the back of his head. The wide smile that spread across his face only made Sora's stomach flutter. He was so handsome and there was just something about that smile she loved.

"Sora, you look good." Was the only reply that came from his lips. Disappointed with himself, Tai forced himself to look away and take a large swig of beer. 'That sounded so… so… dumb. Good… you look good. That was the best way to describe her- not gorgeous, the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, a goddess on earth- no just good.' He mentally sighed and hoped she wasn't disappointed.

Sora tried not to look too saddened by the neutral comment. 'Good. I look good. Is that all? Why do you make me feel so…' Sora's internal struggles where cut short when Matt cleared his throat and took her hand.

"My lady, I do believe we have dinner at my homestead waiting."

"Oh, yes." Sora smiled covering up the confusion in her heart. "I'm sorry Matt, we should be going then." She waved to Joe and quickly looked over at the brown-haired man at the bar. He didn't even look at her. "Goodnight Taichi." She whispered her voice a little disheartened.

Tai sat there in silence thinking of Sora going with Matt to his homestead. He couldn't help the jealous and spiteful feelings arise inside him. His hand must have balled into a fist because Joe placed a supporting hand on his.

"You like her." Joe simply said before picking up an empty glass off the counter. Before Tai could voice anything, especially the false denial on the tip of his tongue, Joe began again.

"You're eyes say it all. Sora's an amazing girl. You would have to be blind not to like her. However, it seems that there's more to it… am I right?"

"What?"

"You don't have to tell me anything. I think I've got the situation pretty much understood from here." Joe spoke as he wiped another glass and placed it in front of a customer to the right of Tai.

"You do, do you?" Tai said skeptically trying to ignore the blue haired man. Pride and a little shyness kept Taichi from allowing the truth to be told. He felt foolish feeling so deeply over a woman he hardly knew, added on top of that she was practically taken by another.

Turning back to his drink, he allowed his mind to drift down the negative path; the one where he would never fulfill his goal, and be alone for the rest of his life.

"Damn," he suddenly uttered as he slatted his forehead with his palm. He had nearly forgotten about his reason for journeying to this little town in the first place.

"What did you say Tai?" Joe asked turning back to the other man.

"Nothing, I just remembered that I didn't come here to worry about some woman, I have a job to accomplish." Tai mumbled more to himself than to Joe. "I had best be off. I still have a lot to do before I infiltrate the enemy's camp."

"Well, stay safe. And be extra careful later tonight if you'll be walking home. Those men can get rather rough on innocent passersby." Joe warned. "I just thought you'd like to know- you're not the only one confused. Don't lose hope." The man smiled and returned to his bar work and customers.

-

Matt had taken Sora out for a quick round of shopping before returning to his nice and cozy homestead. The house was a single story house that looked to Sora like a mansion compared to her small and lowly apartment. He had thought of everything with this house, spared no expense in constructing the wooden log home and matching barn.

On the elaborate table, Matt had set out his best chinaware and the beginnings of a delicious meal. He sat Sora down at the table and kissed her hand before leaving the dinning room and entering the most up-to-date kitchen in the area.

They talked while eating and then went out to sit on a blanket to watch the sun set. Sora could not deny that Matt was charming. He had always been a dashing young man, and Sora had often had to talk herself out of accepting his offer.

The only things stopping her for becoming the next permanent resident in the perfect homestead were her mission and a broken and confused heart. She really didn't understand love anymore. Her family had been taken away at a young age that she didn't know how to be part of a family anymore. She wasn't ready to settle down and start one of her own.

Rolling over in bed, Sora pulled the covers over her and rested on her elbow. Looking down on the man she had spent the day and now whose bed she was sharing, Sora let out a quiet sign. Matt lay next to her; he was silently contemplating the heaven they once again experienced together.

"Matt," Sora spoke up looking at his face that was lax and content. His eyes were closed and Sora knew he was probably trying to get some sleep, however a question lingered inside.

"Um?" He half consciously murmured.

"Matt, how do you know you love me?" She asked placing her hand on his bare chest. His eye opened after her question finally registered. Blinking once, he could see she was serious.

"Sora? What's wrong?" He asked sitting up and leaning against the headboard of the bed.

"I just want to know how you can be so sure I'm the one, the right woman you want to be with… I mean it's just that…" She looked away from his concerned orbs. Struggling for the right words, Sora sighed sadly.

"Sora." Matt began with a quiet voice. Reaching out he cupped her cheek with his hand. "I know because I see it in your eyes, and I feel it when we're together and in here." He told her as he placed his hand over hers on his chest. "I want you to know I love you. No matter what or when you decide your future's course… however, I'd really like it if you'd choose me. What can I say? I'm a little bias, waking up next to you is heaven. You're my heaven Sora." He added with a goofy smile that never failed to lighten the mood and get Sora to laugh.

"I wish I could be as sure as you…"

"There's no hurry to settle down officially. You have things to deal with, and I understand. I'll wait forever if it means I can have you by me." He emphasized his point with a kiss. "Now love, we had best get some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day right? Those men are coming for their little party?"

"Matt, you've helped me enough. I don't want you to get any more involved with this than you already are." Sora yawned as she settled back down besides Matt.

"It's too late for that. I'm going to see you through this Sora, the whole way." Matt assured her rubbing her arm. Placing a kiss to her lips, Matt closed his eyes and whispered her goodnight.

-

Making her way back towards her small room, Sora began prepping for the long day ahead of her. She had so much to day before she made her way to the saloon; her mind didn't even remember the man with the large chocolate eyes and brown messy hair until she opened the door of her room.

There upon the bed sleeping peacefully on her bed was Tai. His white button up shirt was halfway undone and his boots still on, hanging partly off the mattress.

Her breath stopped as she watched him sleep. There was an ache in the bottom of her heart as she stood there in the doorway. For some reason her heart had been doing a lot of talking the last day or so. In addition, what made things worse was that her brain couldn't keep up with the signals.

Not wanting to wake him up, Sora forced herself to move out of the doorway. Closing the door, she quietly set her things down and made her way to the bathroom. Running some water in the bath, she suddenly felt dirty and in need of cleaning before she faced the day. Heating some water on the stove, Sora was able to whip up a refreshingly warm bath without waking her sleeping house quest.

Shedding the Chinese dress and folding it neatly, Sora stepped into the bath with a sigh. Sinking down into the water up to her chin her mind kept returning to the man in the next room.

She had watched Matt sleep several times over the course of their friendship; however, her heart had never acted like this. Letting out a growl of frustration, Sora finished her bath and threw on her robe.

"Good morning." A tired voice called out to her as she reentered the main room of the apartment.

Sora was startled a bit at the unexpected voice and almost dropped the front ties to her robe. Blushing a bit, she tightly tied the robe front and turned towards the owner of the voice.

"Morning." She began. "Well moving in are we? You boys from out east move rather fast."

Sora didn't know what possessed her to say such a thing- that was twice now that her mind just spurted out things around this man- causing them both to blush.

"I had your keys. You forgot to take them at the saloon, so I wanted wait up for you- but I fell asleep."

"That's alright. I just got back…" She stopped speaking and looked away, her heart twinging with pain this time.

"Oh, I see." Was his unemotional reply. The inside battle on his side was just as painful. He could imagine what happened last night- them together, when it was he who wanted to be in Matt's place. 'Whoa, where did that come from?' He wondered. True he was attracted to her; yet taking such a large step so soon was definitely new.

"I looked over your notes. I should be ready to do a little undercover work. No problems." He changed subjects quickly.

"Yeah- it looks like tonight will be big." She added as she walked to her closet. "Um… Tai…" She began hesitancy clear in her voice.

"Yeah?"

"After tonight… well I have a day or two off and I was wondering if you wanted to… to do a little scouting?" She added instead of her original idea.

"Yah, sure." He replied a little down hearted that it hadn't been another request. "Well here are your keys. I'll let you get ready and all. See you later… Sora." He spoke rather rushed and left the room.

Watching him leave only added to the feelings inside her heart. It felt empty and ached worse now.

"I'm such an idiot." She mumbled as she pulled out a fresh dress and began preparing for the day.

-

A/N:

I know, I know- lots of Matt in that chapter- see what happens when people don't review… just kidding!

I was trying to go into a little depth with Sora's confusion and not make the story a Matt/Sora fic. Tai just blew his chances to sweep her off her feet- just like he usually did in the show However, he will get it right- after all this he should be more determined. Therefore, if you believe me, you'll stick around for the next chapter that I know all you Taiora fans will enjoy.

Thanks to the reviews- always appreciated! Keep up the good work clicking on that little button and typing a few words.

That's it for now!

Ja Ne


	9. Chapter 9

A/N:

Sigh I thought my time before Japan was going to be fun and easy little did I know that time flies! Where did my January go? And February for that matter!

Most likely where my paychecks and odd cash end up- Gone! Spent!

To add to the pie, I killed my little computer. Yes, I am a computer killer. Don't ask me how I did it- the hard drive just died one day. That the last time I do a computer health day- seriously I took care of the laptop better than my desktop and see where that gets me.

Oh well- tax returns are coming and I got a little cash left over- so I got myself a new laptop- (just in time for my trip to Nihon! OMGWHT! I leave in a month!)

However, that does not get back the scores of files I had on the other one grrrr I had six pages of story on it- not to mention Christmas pictures! Kate is frustrated. So I apologize again- I seem to be able to do that quite well, no? No more delays- on to the fic!

-

Tai had to get out of the building, fast. The walls and hallways all seemed crowded and stuffy to him as his heart pounded painfully. He knew he had messed up by not accepting his new feelings and telling her. Yet, how could he take such a risk when he was unsure of himself?

Needing to forget all the images he conjured up inside his head seeing her- Tai walked down the street with no particular destination in mind. He was so engrossed with his internal struggles that he did not notice the slight dip in the road. Quickly saving himself from what could have been both a nasty and embarrassing fall- Tais ears picked up on a conversation that sparked his curiosity

The three men stood around a trough of water where a solitary horse drank. Looking at them would cause nothing suspicious- each was dressed in worn ranch hand attire. Their skin tanned by extensive exposure to the hot Californian sun. Everything looked harmless until his ears noticed the topic at hand. It was a similar topic he had been grappling with from the moment he first entered the saloon.

"You say the bitch killed the last one too?" The tallest of the men in a red plaid print shirt.

"He's not going to be happy. There's new orders to take her out- no strings attached this time. They don't want to observe her- dead or alive... tonight things get interesting." Another mentioned.

"All I can say it's a waste to kill such a beauty- no matter what, we should at least have a little fun before, if you know what I mean..." The third and fattest of the group smiled.

"You can do whatever you want- just remember it's a job and not fun time. Besides there's not enough money out there for me to go up against that red head." The first responded to the last man's comments.

"I agree. I'm not going to risk my life. She even killed the best gun hand he's ever had." The second added.

Tai had a real good feeling he knew who the men were talking about a little ways away. Sora seemed to attract their kind of trouble. She truly was an amazing person- coming all this way by herself and surviving everything this group threw at her. It was then that an idea came to him. Gathering his confidence and courage, Tai approached the group of men.

"I couldn't help but overhear you are in need of a good gun hand there fellas." He began. The three looked over at the newcomer with cautious eyes. "Not to brag, but I just happen to be a pretty good shot." Demonstrating his talents, Tai pulled his gun from its holster at his waist in a flash. Firing off two shots Tai slipped the gun back at his side after a twirl. The men looked in awe at the precision shooting he had done knocking down three bottles across the street.

"Three bottles with two shots? You do have some talent there kiddo." The man in plaid said stroking the stubble on his chin.

"But we need more than just talent. We're not playing cowboys and Indians you know." The chubby one spoke up looking harshly at Tai. "I've seen seasoned hunters drop dead against this one." His tone was extremely hostile thinking about the men his group had lost.

"I don't think I'll have any problems. Besides, you need a gunman, and I am willing to take the job. Unless any of you would want it…" Tai stopped to notice the looks on their faces. He had to hold back a smile as their grim expressions told him the answer.

"You've got balls there kid. We'll give you a shot. Meet us at the Saloon around five tonight. I'll have all the details then." With that the men tipped their hats in a parting gesture and walked away.

Tai stood there for a moment to collect his thoughts. 'It was that easy to get into this group?' Some how he did not believe that; things never went this smoothly… there had to be a catch somewhere.

"Well, no use worrying about it now." He sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered off towards the stables. A ride around the surrounding areas would do him good- also he could trail those idiots if needed. They might just lead him straight to this illusive hideout. Sora had mentioned in her notes that their base of operations changed locations frequently. Especially after the first few men started showing up mysteriously killed in bar fights. The mastermind was not dumb… and that's exactly what had Tai's stomach uneasy.

Sora made her way over to the saloon early in the afternoon. She still was not feeling like her old self. That angered her greatly. At the moment she should not be worrying about her love life- that was unimportant. At least she had always made it be that way.

'Things never go my way.' She sighed as she began her shift. Forcing her mind to prepare for this evening, Sora pushed all other thoughts out of her mind. She needed to be sharp and alert today. No distractions, no sidetracks could be allowed. 'I'm too close for there to be stupid consequences now.'

Word on the street had it that the notorious group was on the verge of something big. With the information she would seduce out of one of their members, she might have the key to stopping them for good. Any means necessary- that was what she decided. No more living like this for years. She wanted to end everything and soon. Revenge and then a new life… possibly even a happy life awaited her. Sora was tired of waiting.

Busying herself, Sora carried tray after tray to the thirsty customers. On the outside, things appeared normal and she was having a regular day, however to a friendly eye like Joe, he could tell something was up.

"Hey Sora!" The blue haired man stopped her after she returned an empty tray of glasses to the bar. "Can we talk for a sec?"

"Joe? Um… sure. What about?" She replied a little worried because of the expression on Joe's face. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing much, just wanted to know if you were."

"Me? I'm fine. Couldn't be better." She lied.

"Sure." Joe said rather unbelievingly. "You know after all this clears out- you could go with him."

"With who? If you are implying I should marry Matt and be happy- we'll I'll have you know…"

"Not him. I've known that as nice as Matt is, he wasn't the one for you. Call it a hunch."

"A hunch huh? Well if not him, who?"

"You know who I'm talking about- you just don't want to admit the strong and independent person you are has fallen for someone." Joe smiled looking at her stubborn face. "It happens to the best of men too. Love isn't something to be feared or hated. It's only natural."

"Since when are you an expert on matters of love?" She didn't want to sound so harsh towards a friend who was trying to help her, but her voice came out spitting daggers.

"I've been around the block a few times. Granted they haven't all ended fantastically, but I have tried and I'm open to the fact it will happen someday. That's more than some can say, isn't it?" He had a point. She hated when he was right. "So you want to talk about it then?"

"Haven't we had similar conversations before? How did they turn out?"

"Touchy." He smiled; Joe had always enjoyed getting Sora a little riled up from time to time. "Now on to my real reason for talking with you." His smile grew larger as she looked like she was about to hit him.

"So there was a reason for this harassment?"

"A friend of mine stumbled across a little piece of information this morning… he's coming over a little later and you can talk to him. It's about you little hobby." The look in his eyes told her it was serious and that this man could be trusted.

"Alright, let me know when he arrives. And thanks Joe. You're a good friend."

-

The day went on with little to no actions out of the ordinary. Sora served drinks and played a little poker with customers. A few stray hands needed to be taught a lesson for getting a little too fresh, but nothing to cause her worry. Yet she could not break the feeling of impending trouble.

The loud entrance of three burly customers drew her attention for a fleeting moment. That was until she caught a glimpse of the fourth person who entered the bar. With his hat off, the unruly brown hair was free to spike out in all directions. Sora felt her stomach do a little flutter when he sat next to the trio and smiled at a passing saloon girl. Another scantily dressed woman came right up to them and sat down on Tai's lap, taking orders like there was no problem.

Before meeting his eyes, Sora turned abruptly and spilt a little on a customer she was waiting on. The already drunk man did not seem to mind after a kiss to the cheek and a new beer glass to nurse for a time. After dropping off the tray at the bar counter, Sora excused herself and went in the back.

Tai knew he had seen Sora there in the bar as he entered trailing the gang he had conversed with that morning. Before he could get a good look around the bar better an older woman dressed in flimsy clothes attacked him. Getting cozy on his lap, she talked with the others while taking orders of drinks and a little something from the kitchen.

"And you, love?" The woman asked turning her body to look at the man she was using as a cushion.

"Beers fine." Tai said not wanting to look dumb in front of his temporary comrades.

"I'll be right back then. Don't move a muscle." She added before slipping off Taichi and over to the bar.

"Looks like we've got a ladies man in this one too." The man still clad in the plaid shirt smiled tipping his hat to another pretty face.

"Well, let's hope he's a better shot than a lover." Another said, still not openly friendly to the newcomer.

Tai didn't mind the distrust from two of the three men. The leader of the group seemed unfazed by the newness of the night's main player. The only reasoning for this that Tai could find was the old saying, 'better him than me.' No one else wanted to have a chance against the job he was after tonight, namely Sora. The only thing he would like was a little time to talk it over with her- if they played their cards right, they could both get to the main hideout tonight. He would need Sora's cooperation for this to work. If he brought her in, with some wild story how he bested her, they would more than likely get before the boss.

However, there was a great risk involved. The majority of it would rest on Sora's shoulders… this upset him the most. His head told him, Sora would and could deal with anything thrown her way. Yet, his heart was deeply trouble about seeing her in more danger; she would be the most likely to die if anything went wrong.

Scanning the bar once again, he was disappointed to see she was nowhere to be seen. 'I swore I saw her hair over by the bar… no one else has gorgeous hair that color.' He thought with a slight blush. "Or a body, spirit and personality like hers…' he added.

"So, the plans are for you to have a little rendezvous later. Alone… bring you gun, and here's a smaller one to put somewhere in case." One handed him a small side arm to conceal.

"Dead or alive- however, if the latter- make sure she's drugged, tied, unconscious or something…" Another warned.

"I prefer alive myself." Tai felt sick to the stomach at the last comment and the lustful eyes of the man sitting to his right. Clenching his fists under the table, Tai kept from punching the other man for the comment about Sora.

"Here you go boys." The saloon girl from before returned. This time she was not alone; another, younger girl accompanied her also with a tray of drinks. "Thought you'd like another lap partner, while I talk to this handsome one here." The lady said motioning the younger girl to sit near Tai. He was thankful the older woman then sat on another man's lap.

There was nothing wrong or hideous about the new girl, Tai just wasn't use to girls fawning over men in this fashion. It just seemed… wrong, maybe dirty as well. Looking around, Tai took stock where he was again. Only months ago he would have never thought to have been found in a saloon in California with a woman, he did not know, on his lap.

If he wasn't already embarrassed, his current discomfort level raised significantly as a certain red headed saloon girl re-entered the bar area. A rag in one hand and a new stack of glasses on a tray balanced in between her hip and her free arm. For some reason he could tell the smile on her lips was a false one. She looked upset and a bit flustered. Tai instantly caught himself wanting to walk over to her.

"Were do you think you're going pretty boy, we haven't had any fun yet." The girl asked caressing his cheeks. "Don't you want to play a little game?"

A loud laugh roared from his table partners as Tai went a little red faced at the boldness of the women now straddling his lap. His eyes went wide as he quickly looked over at a shocked Sora. She was looking at him with an unreadable expression. Then she looked away- going back to the job at hand, leaving Tai with a smiling woman on him and laughing men making a scene out of his discomfort.

-

After a few minutes, the men at his table seemed to mellow, as their stomach began to fill with the food they had ordered. Tai was glad the two saloon girls left finding he was not in the mood for the attention and the others were stingy tippers. Tai sat and listened in on the group's banter about rather unimportant things. However, every no and then they would broach the topic of their jobs. The small bits of information that came out of them were not things of great significance, yet they helped Tai discover why it was taking so long to find the base of the operations. They had someone really smart working the inners of the organization. The men sickened Tai with the stories of murder, robbery and debauchery. He took solace in the fact they would get their just deserts and soon.

As the beers kept coming to the table, Tai's eyes began to wander again. He had no interest in sharing his stories with the three. Putting in a few words here and there to seem friendly and a willing comrade, Tai couldn't help but watch a certain saloon girl as she made her way around the room.

He began to wonder if it was the beer talking when it seemed like she floated across the place. Her entire being radiated beauty and spirit. The way she passed off the hoards of men vying for her attention lifted a weight off his heart. 'I'm still not too late… after all this… then.' He told himself.

-

He had been watching her for the last hour or so. She didn't dare look over his way too often, but she could tell he was watching her.

'Why is he doing this?' She wondered as she tried to forget the unnerving feelings of being watched- even if it was a friend and not a foe, it still bothered her. Thinking back to the way they parted this morning, she could imagine what he could be feeling.

Was he disgusted at her for being a saloon girl? For not upholding the tighter moral code it seemed he and other followed? Did he think she was dirty, that there was something wrong with her due to her profession and the sacrifices she had made to get this far?

'Why do I even care what he thinks?' Sora huffed as she picked up the empty glasses on a table. 'I know I'm dirty… not good enough for someone to really care about… I know.' Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. 'He's out of my league… only attracted to the face, not me…'

Consumed with her inner thoughts, she did not notice a familiar figure come up behind her. All she felt was a pair of arms slipping around her waist and lips touch her bare shoulder.

Tensing up, she swiftly countered the man's grip. Landing a powerful elbow into her attackers stomach, she heard a grunt. A familiar grunt. Turning Sora came face to face with a squinting Matt.

"Matt?" She squeaked. Sora had definitely not expected to see the blonde haired man for a time. "Oh, I'm sorry... are you alright?"

"Don't worry babe, it'll take much more than that to keep me away." He smiled, recovering quickly to the blow in the stomach.

"What... what are you doing here?" She asked still not understanding why the unexpected visit.

"Couldn't I just say hi? Or would you prefer me telling you I missed you already?" He asked allowing his arm to slink around her waist once again. Sora sighed, but allowed the blonde to hug her. "I came to tell you I was leaving for the rest of the week. Remember I told you I had to check on my cattle down the creek. I wanted to give you the keys." He said passing her the keys to his house.

"Matt, I'm not moving in..."

"No, I know... it's just that in case you need anything. I'll be gone for some time. Besides, I'll feel better knowing that you'll be safe, watching my house...Please."

Sora was relieved that Matt had loosened his grip. She stepped away to clear her mind. Looking away from the man before her, Sora couldn't help but look his way. She had not meant to, and she did not want to look at him just this minute. Nevertheless, their eyes met from across the room. There were no words, neither needed to saw anything. Sora felt her heart squeeze; she felt dirty, worthless and she saw it all in his eyes... disgust.

Looking away, Sora took the keys slowly from Matt, almost defeated because of what she saw in Tai's deep eyes.

"Well, I'll see you in a week then." Matt smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"I better get back to work." She weakly added, wanting to disappear.

"I love you." Matt said before she turned and returned towards the bar. Looking around the room, Matt's eyes came to stop on the same eyes Sora had stopped. Giving a smug smile, Matt said everything he needed to with a look.

It was a challenge of sorts, an air of certainty over the possession of something the other could not have. Though Matt did truly care about Sora, Tai could tell the blonde was not what would make her happy. It was that look that had Tai determined. He would act on his feelings. Once Matt exited the saloon, Tai felt empowered.

Turning towards the bar, Tai stood up ready to act.

"We're you going there?" One of his half drunken comrades murmured after finishing off another glass.

"The bathroom." He lied. If he did not do something this moment, he would regret it- just like this morning. He could have said something. Seeing that look in Matt's eyes, and her entire mood this morning, he knew that Sora would be making a huge mistake settling for anything in this town. She had been through so much- and it just felt right for them to be together...

"Sora, my friend is here." Joe said keeping his voice down. "He's waiting for you in the backroom's storehouse."

"Thanks Joe, think you can handle the bar without me?"

"No problem. I hope this helps." He nodded as she made a quick exit much to Tai's dislike. He came nearly running up to the bar as Sora disappeared behind the doors.

"Problems Tai?" Joe smiled looking at the man before him. "Here, have a drink." Pushing a glass filled with an amber liquid Tai's way, Joe continued to go about work as usual.

"Where did Sora go?"

"She's meeting with someone. Business and all." Joe said with a wink. It was not safe to talk too much out in the open. Especially over a topic so dangerous. "So what can I do for you- you looked rather determined as you walked over here."

"I… I um… I wanted to speak to Sora." Tai said finally gathering his courage.

"I see you made some new friends… they don't look like your type of people…"

"They're not. I need to talk to Sora."

"Sorry, she's busy right now. We can wait for her if you like. She'll be happy to talk to you."

"Can I ask you something Joe? I know we've only met a few days again, but…"

"Give her time. You've got her quite confused there- something must have happened this morning. Besides, it looks like you finally got the courage up. Do not let if fade. Once this is over you'll both have new lives- you'll be free to live again." Joe stopped and looked at the man approaching the bar. "It looks like your friends are getting lonely." With that, he took out three more glasses and filled them full. "On the house."

"What's taken so long?" The man asked as he plopped down on the stool next to Tai. "Oh, you're getting the next round. You read my mind!"

Tai sighed as he was pulled back to the table. By now the hours had passed and dusk had fallen on the town. The bar's numbers increased and his companions became sober as time for the operations drew near.

"So, alls you got to do is wait for her to enter- Two of us will be across the street in case you need help. Waive your shirt in the window and they will come running. There's other planed all around this joint tonight. It's now or never there fella."

Tai felt nervous as he climbed the side stairs of the saloon up to the second floor. Entering a room, he tried to calm his nerves. He should not be worried- he was going to be able to explain everything to Sora and then they would finish this game.

All the same, being in a room with only a bed, a changing screen and not much else adorning it was a first. Especially with the original purpose of the room in mind. 'How does she live like this?' He wondered taking in the surroundings better. Sora had definitely had things worse off than he did… she deserved revenge. Moreover, Tai wanted to give that to her.

After Sora's conversation with Joe's friend, a red haired, short man, she knew her feeling of uneasiness was warranted. The group had hired a new guy to attempt to kill her- the catch was that they didn't care if she killed him or not… there were others lying in wait. It was a trap.

She needed to decide what to do now. She had two options; both outcomes meant trouble. If she showed up- killed the guy, there would be a firefight on a large scale with the others. This meant the establishment would take on sever damage, not to mention the fact she's probably be hunted by the entire town. If she left now- did not show up, she would not get such a chance in a long time. Sora knew the group was on the verge of starting something again…

'Damn.' She cursed as she made her way up the back stairs. 'I really have no choice- I guess I get to test my skills a bit tonight.' She pondered the ability to use the man in the room to her advantage… maybe seduce him into helping her. It was not such a bad idea, except it made her stomach turn even more. If it were not for the feelings spurred on by this morning and her encounter with Tai, she would be fine. Do it, get it over with and live. Live and forget… that had been the way she survived until now.

Knocking on the door twice, Sora calmed her nerves and turned the knob.

One the other side of the door, the occupant also tried to steel his nerves. This would be a long and dangerous night.

A/N:

has anyone else been having probs w/ lately? it seems to hate the kate :(

oh well- hope you like it- more to come.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N:

Ok- Got this fic done- just have to work a little on the last chapter- but here's one more for you before that...back to back updates! Productive ne?

You guys deserve it- plus I promised to get it done before Japan, so I try to be an otaku of my word.

This is the action packed- so near the end you can almost taste it chapter!

Included are the following: gunfights, hostage situations, taiora fluff, jumping off balconies, bar fights, more taiora fluff, death, desire, suspense, did I mention Taiora fluff? Well let's just say it once more to be safe, TAIORA FLUFF!

Yes, I know it's been long coming- but it's finally here. Chapter 10! Numero diez, about freakin' time, call it what you will it's here!

Yosh!

Sora entered the room expecting to see a half naked man waiting on the bed. Instead she found a familiar head of brown hair looking sheepishly down at his feet.

"Taichi?" She said in shock. Quickly entering the room and pulling the door shut tight behind her, she looked over at him trying to figure out why he was sitting there on the bed.

"I had wanted to tell you earlier... I got into the gang." He smiled trying to stop the rush of crimson from appearing on his cheeks. As innocent as his intentions were at the moment, Sora's state of undress would make any breathing man's heart race. The lace corset covered the bare minimum of her fair skin, and a sheer black silk robe draped over her shoulders only added to the scantily clad ensemble.

"I heard they sent someone new in... Joe had a friend stop by a little while ago... he also said it was more than likely a trap." She could not help but smile at the funny expression that crossed his face. It looked like her was trying to concentrate on her words, however there were other things that had his attention. Sauntering over to the bed, Sora surprised Tai by resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so tired of all this..." She said in a meek voice. It was so unlike the usually strong and independent Sora Tai had grown accustom to seeing. "I'm at my wits end tonight... things have just gotten so... so complicated."

"Sora, it'll be alright." He assured her while placing an arm around her shoulders. Tai made sure to keep his hands in appropriate places, however it was a tough battle. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but I have an idea. If it works out we could both be free of all this by tomorrow."

"How?" Sora asked not taking her head off him. Finding a gentle warmth being this close to him again, Sora wanted more than anything to forget and stay like this forever.

"Like you said this is a trap set to get you- alive or dead. But we could turn their trap on them. Now I know this is dangerous and a little bit risky... I know we can do this. Your skills and mine, we can achieve our goals."

"So what do you propose?" She sighed.

"We use my new in on the group and their anger at you against them. The guys hiding in the rooms across the street and downstairs, well they want to bring you back to their base alive, if possible... well I..."

"Set it up to look like you got me." She finished for him. Placing her hand on his, Sora looked into his deep eyes. "I trust you."

Her eyes spoke volumes more to Taichi. He could see much more in her crimson orbs. She was tired, afraid, weak, strong, and yet determined. Beyond all those, there was something more there- something he had felt from the very beginning with this girl.

Leaning closer to her, Tai finally lived his dreams of the past few nights. His lips pressed against hers ever so lightly at first. Pulling back to gauge her response, he found her eyes closed and a look of peace sweep across her face.

His heart took over control of his body. Licking his he returned to her soft lips; drinking her in deeply, his arms protectively wrapped around her frame. If they had not been sitting on the bed, he knew his knees would have given out at that point. Especially after she returned the affection with small, somewhat timid caresses to his back and arms.

Sora had never felt this feeling as strongly as she did now. Her heart was racing faster than when she had experienced her first kiss. Nothing in Matt's lips or the other's were this warm, this wet, this… right. She was like a drunk to his lips and hands.

"Taichi…" She gasped as he left her lips and trailed down her neck with hot nips. Feeling herself fall down on the bed with his body following, images of letting others get too close and then hurt her flashed in her mind. 'Would he end up like her family? Taken away by murders… Or worse- would he use her and leave?' A sickening feeling began to creep into the current warmth and contentment was broken.

"What about our mission?" She asked, looking up into his eyes. The fire in his eyes seemed to be at war with another force- he was trying to hold back… Sora was confused.

Tai nearly jumped off the girl he had pinned down on the bed. Once his mind retook control, he felt embarrassed and somewhat relieved he had stopped before things progressed too far. He wanted a relationship with this girl, but not like this- it wasn't the right time to be dealing with further complications. 'Mission first, then future with Sora.' He told himself.

"You're right, I apologize." He quickly uttered before anything else. To his surprise Sora sat up and hugged him.

"Don't apologize… it's me. I just…"

"We'll have all the time in the world to talk about this tomorrow, when everything is over." He assured her placing his hands over hers.

"Let's finish this." She added before getting up. Sora walked over to the dresser in the corner and pulled out a dress. "Don't want to go into that dirty place dressed like this do I? I'm only half dressed."

Tai only smiled as she also took out a small box. He knew it had to be some sort of weapon. "Here." She said as she handed him a small gun. "Put it somewhere safe. They'll both search us for guns- but these are easy to hide." Taking out several small knives, she began to conceal them in her clothes. One in her boot, another tucked into the corset, and still a third she wrapped and used as an ornament in her thick hair bun.

"Are you sure?" Tai asked as she finished dressing and took out some rope.

"Here, tie me up." She motioned him to take the rope from her and begin to wrap her up. Tai began to do as she asked, until she stopped him.

"Wait…you don't think this looks too fake?" Sora asked thinking over the situation in her mind. "Quick, make a mess, rip your clothes… and hit me." She commanded looking at stunned Tai.

"I'm not going to hit you."

"They'll never believe you caught me this easy. So make it look believable… rip your shirt or something, and then HIT ME!"

"But…"

"Fine, if you won't hit me, I'll hit you." She said and with out warning Tai got a hit that with time would create a nice bruise. "Now me." She said looking at him.

"I…"

"That gentlemanly stuff won't get you anywhere around here… take what you want or else it will be taken by someone else." With that, she took out a knife and gave herself several superficial wounds. Just enough to get some blood going and make it look like she was roughed up.

"Look good?" She asked smearing the blood a bit and quickly applying some makeup to look like she took a couple hits in the face.

"You always do." Was his first reply. This honest remark caused both to blush a bit. With a smile, Sora allowed him to finish binding her arms and legs.

Being careful to make the knots look real and tight, Tai quickly finished his work. In reality, Sora would be able to break free if anything happened- his knots looked real, but were loose enough to escape easily.

"I guess I give them the signal now." Tai said as he laid Sora down on the bed. With her hands bound behind her back, and her legs tied at the ankles, Sora tired to relax. Her heart was racing-this was risky. Closing her eyes after Tai gave the signal, she steadied her breathing and pretended she was unconscious.

"You ok? You're still bleeding…" Tai motioned to her wounds.

"Good- it makes things look believable." She smiled. "I'll be fine. Just try and get as close as you can and no matter what, remember that killing him and his whole group is more important than anything else…"

Before she could get much more out, Tai silenced her with his lips covering hers in a last passionate kiss. Not caring if he scared her, or if she felt the same way, he needed this..

"I love you…" He whispered as he broke the kiss with the noise coming from outside the door.

Things after that went in a blur for Taichi. The men stormed the room and found him with the bound saloon girl. Sora did a convincing job of playing unconscious. Tai also kept a watchful eye and made sure the men did not rough her up too much or take advantage of her position.

The group of armed men congratulated Tai with slaps to the back and calls for drinking. However, a well-dressed man entered the room and quickly quieted the rowdy men. Tai had never seen a man with such an evil presence or short temper. He barked orders and quickly they had Sora taken out the window, as to not draw any more attention to the group's actions that night.

Tai followed as closely as possible, fearing for Sora now more than ever. 'What was I thinking?' He questioned himself as he could do nothing but watch her being placed into a sack and thrown into a carriage.

Moving closer to the carriage, Tai was stopped abruptly by the dominating figure of the same man from earlier.

"You're the new guy…how was it that she put up so good of fights to kill off thirty or so men, and you captured her so easily?" The suited man asked looking Tai over.

"I drugged her, and then took advantage of her moment of weakness." Tai quickly lied. He prayed that the story would be good enough.

"Drugged? What kind of drug did you use? She's never been that stupid before…" Thankfully, the man was cut off from further questioning as another man's yell echoed in the streets. Some of the group was celebrating a little too much. From the sounds coming from the saloon, a fight had broken out.

"Get in," the man told Tai in a manner that did not allow for arguments. After watching Tai follow his orders, the man walked up to the driver and whispered something in his ear. Tai could only watch and wonder if their flimsy covers were already blown.

Seconds later, the carriage containing Tai, two other men and Sora took off out of town. Several riders followed behind on horseback as the group made its way to the hideout.

Arriving at their destination, Tai was once again separated from Sora. While the two men took her down a dark hallway, Tai was led into a lavish room. The room was well light for the time of night with candles and lanterns. Red velvet chairs furnished the room along with expensive looking furniture and paintings.

"The boss will be in to congratulate you personally." A man told him before leaving the room and closing the door. From the outside, no one would suspect the run down looking missionary post to be lavish looking lair. These guys were definitely doing well in their business of murder and thievery.

The bad feeling from earlier resurfaced at full strength as he waited for the 'boss' to show. He needed to figure out what to do next. I f he just straight out killed the man, as he wanted to do, then both his and Sora's fates were sealed. They would not survive the night. At least Sora would not- she was taking the worst risk of all. Even with the rope loose to escape, he still had no idea of where they took her or what was happening to her.

Looking around the room, Tai found very little personal effects to the lavishly furnished room. Books lined shelves, however none allowed Tai a better feel of his adversary. The little he knew about this man was from the bits in his memories and what Sora had told him during their conversation in the stables.

The scarred man seemed to prove a worthy opponent. No matter his methods of merciless bloodshed, Tai knew this man was probably a genius at least at strategy. However, he had made two fatal mistakes… killing his and Sora's family. A mistake that took several years to get revenge. Tonight was the night. He would walk out of here a free man- his conscious clear and revenge attained, or he would leave in a casket, ready to meet his family in the next world.

'Heaven be with us.' He silently prayed as he continued to think and scan the room. His eyes caught on a metal frame over on a side table. He didn't know why the object caught his eye, yet he walked over as if his body was drawn to it. Picking it up, he recognized the photo… it was the same one Sora had in her chest in the stable. The photo was of her family, all smiles and happy. Little did they know the man they embraced would slaughter them all, and force Sora into such a hard life.

It was then he decided that when they survived, he would take her away from this frontier life. Gold rush and saloon profits be damned, she deserved better. As he studied the picture more, he could see that she had indeed lost a part of that carefree and beautiful smile. The sparkle in her eyes now was nothing compared to that spark in the photo.

The door opened suddenly and Tai set the photo back in its place. Several men entered the room, followed by a man in dark clothes and matching black hat.

Tai's eyes went straight for the scar that appeared on the man's face. He was finally there- before him was the man who killed his wife, his unborn child and who haunted both Sora's and his lives.

The two looked at each other for a moment as silence filled the room.

"So this is the boy who brought my Sora in finally." The scarred man asked. The deep green eyes of the man before his sent a chill up Tai's spine as an aura of evil and death seeped into the room. Something evil oozed out of this man, Tai felt it the moment they had first met in the past, and things had not changed a bit.

"I know- I can't believe how he did it." One of the men to the right of the scarred man retorted. "He's still a pup."

"It doesn't matter- all that's important now is getting revenge for all my buddies she killed. So when are we going to roast her?" Came another hostile voice that was echoed several times by others in the room.

"Now, now. Sora does have a valid dispute with me, going way back… so we're not going to rush into anything." Their leader quieted the men's complaints.

"So, does our brightest new sharp shooter have a name?" He continued looking back over to Tai.

"Taichi, sir. Moreover, I'd like to say it was a pleasure helping you all out. I'd like to even extend my services if you're in need of another loyal hand." Tai said trying to keep the tempered rage in check. He had to win over this man… this monster in order to escape here alive with Sora.

"We'll see. I'd like to know how you got her without shooting her a few times."

"Um… well, it was rather easily done… I mean you just had to play all the cards right." Tai tried to buy himself some time to think of a believable answer. Then it hit him- "You know women, I gave her what they all want, pretty words, promises of a better life… when she wasn't looking and after her defenses were down, I slipped her a little something. She struggled a bit as I tied her up, but after few minutes she was out cold."

"Interesting…" The man replied. "I think we will keep you around. Boys, see to it our newest friend is well taken care of…we will need him a little later, bring him to _the_ room in a hours time." The tone of voice worried Taichi a little more than he would have liked. There was just something behind the man's words that hinted at darker intentions… Making the choice to leave and not extract his revenge just yet, Tai hoped he had made the right choice.

Sora slowly opened her eyes feeling the overwhelming cold surround her. She panicked a little not knowing where she was; looking around the room, it looked like a bedroom. Finding herself placed on a large bed, Sora shivered at the cold that enveloped the sparsely decorated room. Flowers wilted on the table in the center of the room, the rest was a darkened mix of black and a blood red. She did not like those color combinations, that and the fact she was still bound, and alone in someone's bedroom.

As she tried to move, Sora winced at the throbbing pain in her head. 'The bastards just had to make sure I was unconscious, didn't they.' She thought to herself. Taking in more of her surroundings, she decided it would be best to make a hasty exit, that or at least get these ropes off her arms. Not knowing what was going on made Sora all the more nervous… had Tai gotten inside enough to find a way to not only stop these murders but a way out for the both of them.

Thinking over the situation a little more, she felt somewhat relieved that Tai had shown up that day in the alley when a thug had attempted to kill her. The new man did not do much help in that situation, but he seemed reliable and trustworthy. Something that was rare here in the West. The man with spiky hair was definitely something different. He made her feel things she thought were long dead… and he didn't hate her or look down on her because of the decisions she made in life… he actually cared for her… he had told her he loved her. Those words, from him, did more to her heart than the thousands of times Matt would tell her them.

Things were different with Taichi. A good different that made her feel she could do anything and survive anything if she could just be with him. Looking back, she had never felt that way about any of her male companions. Joe and Izzy were helpful- not only with her current operations, and with finding information- they were her emotional support over the long years she had lived in Sacramento. Matt, well Matt was Matt. A good friend, well more than a friend, and not just a 'client.' Sora shuttered, her chosen profession was not one of wanting, it was necessary. She had come a long way to get here and now… now she just wanted it all to end.

'I love you.' His lips were close to her ears when he whispered those words. He was serious, right. She wondered as she continued to reach for the concealed knives. Finding the one still in her boot, she twisted her body as much as she could to try to get the knife out. It did not surprise her to fid the ropes tightened, but it made things more difficult.

As she continued to struggle, she heard footsteps nearing the other side of the door. Trying not to panic, Sora hid the knife as best she could underneath her body. Closing her eyes and uttering a silent prayer, Sora awaited whatever fate come from behind the doors. Her heart nearly burst as the footsteps stopped. The slowly the door opened and a lone figure entered.

As the door slammed closed behind him, Sora knew exactly who had entered. Keeping her eyes closed, she didn't want to see the horrible man now looking down at her. He came closer to the bed; his breathing was shallow, as he looked her over. His eyes traversing her body made Sora want to vomit.

"Sora… my little Sora…" He called to her, but she kept still. Moments passed with just him looking at her there on the bed. "I know you're awake… I know you all too well, don't I?"

His voice had a mocking tone as he moved even closer to her. Running his hand down the bare skin of her arm and then up her body caused her to flinch.

"See, you're awake… why don't you want to look at your old friend? We were like family, weren't we?" His patience was growing thin, after she still did not make any signs of moving, the man with the scarred face gripped her neck tightly with his hands. The lack of air caused Sora's eyes to open wide in shock as she gasped.

Sora struggled as best she could with her arms and legs still bound, but there was little she could do until the man let her go. Watching Sora cough violently after he released her neck the man laughed at her. Picking her up by her hair, he slapped her hard and let her fall back on the sheets.

"You don't want to reminisce about the past do you?" He smiled as her eyes shot daggers in his direction. "You always were lovely… I've enjoyed watching you these past few years here in Sacramento. I was so happy you missed me that much to come and find me. However, you did go about getting to me the wrong way- all those men. I was playing with you, you realize that?"

With that piece of information, Sora was enraged. She nearly broke through her bindings with the surge of rage… all the killing, all the horrible things she had lived through and he was just playing with her again…

"Does it make you feel any better when I tell you I missed you? You know, I always dreamt of you… if you survived, where you were, what I did to you… none of my victims since have been more fun to play with than my precious Sora." He said running a finger down her cheek.

Tears began to stream down her face as the man's voice brought back horrible memories. Fire, screams, the sound of flesh being cut, pain, tearing of clothes and the animalistic enjoyment that she saw in his eyes… he had taken so much.

"Oh, I'm upsetting you? I would never want to do that…" Again he smiled down at her with his evil face. Sora couldn't take it much longer… being in the same room with this man, breathing the same air as he did, just thinking of him made her feel sick.

Knowing she couldn't accomplish much in her current state, she had to do something. Finding where she placed her knife, she ripped a hand free from the coarse ropes and took a swing at the man.

She managed to slice his arm with the small knife before another action was futile. He gripper her arm and nearly broke it off by twisting it behind her back. Bottling up the pain, Sora would not let him hear her cry out ever again… he took too much pleasure in her pain the last time they met… this time she would silently accept whatever fate gave her.

"Oh, someone is being overly feisty today. I like that in women you know." He smiled as he pressed her down against the bed and began frisking her for other weapons. "You know, if you would just behave, I could keep you with me… you'd have everything your little heart desired…say you'll be mine again and all these hardships could disappear." He said eyeing her chest with lustful eyes.

"Never…" She spat out with clenched teeth. The pain of him twisting her arm and digging in her skirts for weapons increased. He was enjoying this…

"I hear you've made quite the saloon girl in town… you must have improved since…" Somehow, she had summoned the power and shut him up with a quick knee into the groin. He would regret kneeling over her legs…

He recovered all too quickly. Sora had expected some time to run, but was only able to roll onto her stomach before he grabbed her again.

"That was NOT nice." He screamed at her as he violently grabbed her hair with one hand and took her arms in the other. Sitting down on her thighs, he made sure her legs were not able to do much. The squirming girl beneath him tried everything to break out from his grip… but she was stuck.

"Now it's time I taught you a lesson about your place…" Ripping open the back of her dress after letting go of her hair, he smiled at the scar. "This means you are mine." He said in a threatening voice. He was daring her to contradict him. Taking her knife, he used it to cut her again in a similar but more shallow design as the last wound he left her.

For the first time since she regained some order in her life, Sora felt helpless. The more she squirmed, the more she knew he enjoyed it… if she laid there, maybe he would let her live a second time… she doubted that would happen. All she had left was hope for Taichi to somehow save her. She would swallow her pride this time and allow someone to help…

'Taichi… I need you right now…please….'

Several men had led Tai around the maze like structure of the compound. Some were friendly- they looked like they had been caught up in this mess accidentally; others were the worst kind of criminals imaginable… the law man in him felt like letting his guns go wild in this place, but he knew it still wasn't just. They needed to take all these men to jail… the law would decide who hung or not.

After what seemed like hours of walking, Tai was very confused. It was difficult to remember which way the men had shown him- thus making it hard to remember where the exits were… the location and directions of exits could mean life or death in a situation like this one. Things were not looking good.

Added on top of that, the rumors of the boss wanting time alone with Sora caused extra troubles on Tai's mind. Would she be all right dealing with him… would she just up and kill the man, if she did, how would he know and what would he do?

They stopped suddenly in front of a door. One of the men knocked, a mumbled voice came from inside and the door opened. Tai and two others entered the room before the door locked from the outside.

"Ah yes, the man who caught my little Sora." Came his voice. Tai's eyes went wide as he saw Sora's body bleeding on the bed. Her arms twisted back and were bound tighter than before as the man sat on her thighs with a cruel look across his face. Tai could hardly control his anger as he saw her face. She was in pain, but she wasn't going to let them know it. Sora bit her lip to keep from crying out and tears leaked out of her closed eyes.

"We decided, since you caught her, and she won't let me keep her, isn't that right Sora… you can kill her... after some fun of course."

Tai's attention was ripped from Sora's face, to the man who was talking. Getting a push towards the bed, Tai didn't know what to do.

"Come now- you said you caught her fancy with your kind words of love… show her now."

His mind tried to catch up with everything that was going on... the plan to get inside, getting inside, being shown around, coming tot he room, seeing Sora bleeding, the man mocking and hurting her, now they were all looking at him...

Looking at the man to his side, Tai saw his chance to do something. A shiny revolver sat in the man's holster- unlocked and ready to go. Tai knew this was their only chance to get away...

Moving fast, he pushed the man with the gun against the wall. Grabbing the revolver he shot both men who had entered the room with him. Turning to get a lock on the man tormenting Sora, Tai felt his stomach twist. He wasn't fast enough taking care of the others; Sora was now being held as a shield for any bullets, a knife to her neck.

"So you think you both thought you were smart enough to catch me? Sorry sonny, I've been on the run for years and no law man so much as laid a finger on me. I'm not about to die at the hands of some kid and his saloon girl."

"Tai- shoot him." Sora said realizing the situation- behind those doors sat hundreds of men. Hundreds of men, who after hearing gun shots and shouting were about to come trampling into that door and kill them both.

"What?"

"DO it!" She demanded looking at him.

"She's right you know- my men will be ramming down that door in a matter of seconds." He snickered behind Sora.

"Shut up." Tai snarled not wanting to hear that man's voice one more time. It sickened him, angered him, and most of all drove him to want to kill him even more than before.

"Looks like your new toy isn't much fun... he's too worried about this little piece of flesh to think with hi brain." He snickered grabbing on to Sora's butt.

Knowing her actions could very well be the end for her- Sora decided to take things into her own hands once again. Taichi was certainly thinking of being the nice guy and not wanting to hurt her- but things happened and she was ready to take a bullet or two to get this man...

Snapping her head back as hard as she could, Sora's head collided into her captor's face. A horrible crunching sound and then a mad wail came from the mad behind her.

This distraction gave Tai his opportunity. Sora dropped to the ground as she saw Tai take aim. The bullet was skillfully aimed right for the man's chest. Being the sharp shooter he was- Tai hit his mark and the other man went flying back against the wall.

Blood gushed out of the wound as Sora maneuvered over to watch the man who had hurt her so much take his final breath. Still bound in the ropes, and not having been the one to officially pull the trigger, she felt satisfied in many ways as the man sputtered and died.

Tai was over and untying her before she noticed anything. Looking down upon the man's face- she felt lost...

Forgetting about the man he just killed Tai went to work getting Sora's back to stop bleeding from the new marks drawn into her skin.

"Let's get out of here." He called to her as he picked up another gun form the floor and tossed it to her. "Come on, we need to get out of here now."

"But..."

"Not now- first we need to leave." He said just as a voice spoke up on the other side of the door. "Crap... they'll be breaking down the door any minute... quick the window." Moving quickly to bar the door with objects inside the room, he saw their get away.

Waking up from her momentary stupor as several men began pounding on the door, Sora took stock of the situation... they needed to get out. As Tai continued barring the door, Sora got up and looked out the window. It was a long drop, even with the ropes that had been used on her... but there was no other choice.

"Let's go!" Tai said in a panic as a small hole was broken into the door. "They want in, and we need out." Rushing over to her and the now opened window, Tai grabbed Sora to him and took hold of the rope. "Shall we?"

"I'll love you for the rest of my life if we get out of this..." Came her reply as she held on tightly to his strong frame.

"Not a problem." He assured her as they both went out the window...


	11. Chapter 11 End

A/N:

OMGWTFཀཀཀ1

The last chapter, wrap up and epilogue all in one file- It's the finish this fic off right chapter-

So I realize it took a while... longer than usual for me to write a fic... not exactly sure why... well I kind of know why- I've been a busy fangirl...

I will still be writing stories while in the land of the rising sun, but internet access might be a slight setback. I'm staying with this traditional family- I assume traditional means no internet... tear since they did not provide an email address to contact them with...

So, long story short, off I go to Tokyo... Sunday... 13+ hour flight... shoot me. I hate long flights...

Enough about me- back to the fic-

Thanks for sticking around, and not being really bitchy about the long periods of no updates... also I need to put a shout out to those who left reviews- Without you I would have said "screw this" and stopped along time ago... So on to the ending-

ps- Have I mentioned I hate Word Perfect? I had to convert this file from a nice.doc file to some word perfect BS becuase I'm at home... not sure why... but wouldn't take the .doc file. It was being bitchy So if you see weird symbols and shit - gomen, but this was all it would take at the moment.

* * *

Sora closed her eyes and let Tai handle the escape. There wasn't much she could do right now anyway with her back all cut up again. She let the anger she had for herself at the moment take her mind off them falling to the ground with a rope that wasn't going to help them much more.

Being the damsel in distress back there was something she despised. She was helpless there in that room... he had seen her weakness and used it against her for the last time.

The thing that surprised her the most was that Taichi had seen her weakness as well- it felt good to have someone who she could truly trust and allow to help. Maybe there was a future out there- a new purpose for living- a rebirth for her broken heart.

Opening her eyes to see the man who held her tightly, her surroundings were brought back into focus. They were falling.

"Hang tight. I'm letting go of the rope now." He shouted, there was a little fear in his voice. Who could blame him? She certainly could not at that moment. Sora knew all too well that if she opened her mouth, screams would spill out. Nodding, she clung to him, trusting his judgement.

As if by some miracle, when the time for them to hit the ground came, their landing was nothing like they had expected. Crashing down onto a wagon of hay, Tai and Sora could only assume they had died and were now dreaming or something.

"Hurry up and get down." Came a familiar voice. Sora thought she was hallucinating and stayed in her some what comfortable position within Tai's arms. Even though she was sore and probably still bleeding, she didn't want to leave. He felt the same way. Both were dumbstruck that they survived a fall from that height.

"Soraཀ We need to move now." Came the voice. Giving in and sitting up, Sora looked over and saw a red haired man on a horse.

"Izzy?"

"Yes, now hurry up. I got both of your horses... we have to split before they find you two." The man said in a paranoid voice.

"How... but..." She stammered trying to figure out why her friend was there and how they had fallen safely on a hay wagon.

"I'll explain it later- now we have to move."

Hearing the gun shots in the room upstairs and the angered men shouting, Sora and Tai decided it would be best to follow Izzy's idea and leave. Rolling off of their cushion of hay, the two were surprised to find their horses like Izzy had said. They were saddled and ready to ride.

"Here, you might need these." Izzy said as he threw a gun at each of the escapees. It wasn't long before the rowdy bunch of men figured out that they had fled through the window. Gun shots began flying out at them as they took off behind some large boulders.

"So what's the plan now?" Tai asked as they hid from the onslaught of bullets.

"Um... I really didn't think of much else other than rescuing you two..." Izzy said quietly.

"Great." Tai sighed rubbing the space between his eyes. He felt a headache coming on.

"Well we owe you for the help. Don't worry, we can taken them... we've got three skilled shooters." Sora said as she tried to get her clothing back into order. Finding it torn beyond fixing, she finished the job, ripping the top off and using her under corset as a top. "How many shots do we have?"

"I snatched a box of rounds, here." Izzy said throwing a box over to Sora. Taking a few for herself, she threw the rest to Tai.

"I think we need to flush them out of their base first." She observed looking for weaknesses in their compound. "Tai, they gave you a tour right? Did they have a stove in the kitchen?"

"I think so..."

"No, I need a yes or a no- did they have a kitchen in there? And did it have a stove of some sorts?"

"Yes." Tai replied thinking he saw a kitchen area around where they had shown him.

"Good. I need you to cover me then. I'm going in to create a little house fire." She smiled as she placed a newly loaded gun in the waist of her mangled dress.

"How are you doing to do that?"

"I'm a saloon girl- I know the right kind of booze starts fires that can't be put out easily, Add a wood stove to the mix and you only get more trouble." She smiled innocently enough. "I'm going to go in and do that- you wait out here for them to come running out when the blaze starts."

"What about you?" Tai asked concerned. Moving Yume closer to Sora and her horse, Tai took her hand.

"I'll come out the back door, safe and sound. Besides, I always keep my promises..." She gave him a wink that didn't go unnoticed by their red haired friend. "Just make sure you guys do your part and come out alive too..."

"Sora, they seem to be making a rush for their horses now- do you want us to give you a distraction to get inside?" Izzy said not wanting to break the moment for Sora, but he had been watching the movements from the compound.

"That would be nice- but nothing stupid. We'll need both of you once the fire starts."

"I'll do it." Tai said. "I'll ride out around the perimeter over there taking the fire and attention towards me."

"You sure?" She asked.

"Positive."

"I love you."

"I know. I love you too." He said as he pulled her close enough for a kiss. "I'll see you after all this is done."

Sora gave him a nod and watched as he took off with guns blaring. He succeeded in getting everyone's attention.

"I thought I told him nothing that stupid." Sora muttered waiting for her moment to go for the house.

"You make a great pair. I'm happy for you Sora."

"Thanks Izzy, well I guess it's my turn now... stay safe."

"Don't worry, I'll watch both of your backs." He assured her as Sora took off on the back of her horse for the compound walls.

* * *

Tai was doing a fantastic job of getting their attention, maybe even a little too good of a job. He had bullets rushing past him from every angle. If it weren't for his horse Yume's ability to move quickly, the few grazes would have been full out wounds. 

"That's a good girl." Tai said pushing his horse a little bit faster before he turned in the saddle and shot back a few shells. "We just need to buy a little more time and we're done." He told her as he took a bullet in the arm.

Cursing as he pulled his bleeding arm to rest on the saddle, he knew that they would be caught pretty soon. 'I need to find a way back to Izzy... but how?' He wondered as he continued to lead a large group of riders away from their base.

Izzy say Tai getting further and further away from their location. With Sora safely in the house, he knew he needed Taichi tog et back here soon to help with the picking off of men as they fled.

"I better go get him then." Izzy decided as he also took off after Tai. It was to his luck that the other men were too busy trying to hit Tai that they never noticed a rider coming from behind.

Picking off riders one by one, Izzy had given Tai the break he needed to beat back his pursuers.

"Thanks Izzy, I owe you one." Tai said as the two men caught up and out ran the riders left behind.

"We'll call it even if you promise to take care of Sora and get her to marry you." He red head smiled as they tried to find a better hiding spot for the second wave.

"We'll see." Came Tai's reply as he blushed a little. Now was not the time to daydream- however it was really tempting to envision Sora and him together after all this.

"What's taking her so long in there? Maybe I should go in and check on her."Tai spoke up getting a little worried from the noises inside the compound and lack of fire.

"Don't worry about her- Sora will get her part of the job done." Izzy said assured of Sora's success. His point was proven as mere seconds later fire gushed out of a window. Soon the building was engulfed with searing flames. "See, she's a fighter that one."

"I know..." Tai said waiting as the men began to panic inside and rush outwards.

"Drop your weaponsཀ" Tai shouted tot he men that ran towards them. He didn't feel right slaughtering the whole lot of them, even if they were criminals... they would get their justice soon. Many complied, there were a few that didn't and received a hot tot he hand, making it impossible for them to fire back.

As the fire continued to spread to the barns and other building wings, more men surrendered to Tai and Izzy.

"Any sign of her yet?" Tai asked Izzy as they circled the men they had taken into custody.

"Not yet- she'll be coming any minute now- besides she has her horse Biyo with her. He won't let anything happen to Sora, he's just as protective as Thunder is to her."

"If we don't get a little help here soon- these guys will over power us..." Tai whispered to his friend. If the men really wanted too, with their numbers, they could easily take out two armed guards with minimal loss of life.

"You called for help?" Came a voice from behind. Tai, expecting to see Sora, turned quickly.

"Matt?"

"I brought some unbiased sheriffs from the next township over." The blonde man said riding closer to the group. Behind him rode at least a dozen armed lawmen on horseback. They would be more than enough to take care of these criminals.

"So you did get my message." Izzy smiled. "Boy am I glad. I was getting scared there for a moment."

"You knew Matt was bringing reenforcements?" Tai asked

"When I found out about Sora's not wanting to wait- I did a little more digging, behind the scenes and all, talked with Matt and got some help from other townships after these guys."

"Speaking of Sora, where is she?" Matt asked looking around.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to look for her..." Tai said taking Yume off towards the burning compound. Seeing his counterpart for Sora's attention ride off, and knowing Izzy had things now covered, he took off following Tai.

"You let her go in by herself?" Matt asked angrily as his horse caught up with Tai.

"She wanted to go. She wouldn't have let me go inside... besides it was safer than out here." Tai defended his actions the best he could. If it weren't for the blonde liking Sora, Tai actually thought he could get along with Matt. He seemed friendly enough on their first meeting...

Getting around the blazing building was a little complicated. Debris and burning wood scattered the ground as their horses brought them safely around to where Sora's horse stood.

Tai's heart skipped a beat as he noticed Biyo nuzzling Sora's unresponsive form. She was laying face down on the ground, as if she had been thrown from the building. More cuts and burn marks adorned her skin.

Getting off Yume, Tai ran to her side. Calming himself a little when he found she was still breathing, Tai quickly picked her up and remounted Yume.

"I'm getting her to a doctor." He said in a voice that would not take nay crap from the blonde or anyone else. After that Yume took off towards town in a full gallop.

* * *

Tai walked up to the door with a nervous feeling. Straightening his collar, and making sure he had everything he needed, he entered the small room after knocking. 

The sun shown down on to a single bed through the solitary window of the hospital room. The figure in the bed turned in bed to see the door and the visitor entering.

"Oh, it's you." The auburn haired woman smiled as she began to sit up.

"Wait, let me get that for you." Tai said fluffing up a few pillows to prop her up better. "So how is the back?"

"A little sore, but the doctors said I can go home tomorrow." She smiled as he handed her flowers.

"That's good news." Tai said pulling up a chair to sit by her side. "Everything else ok?"

"I guess so, unless you could being bored to tears a good thing."

"You'll be out soon enough. And then we'll both be so busy we won't be able to think." He smiled taking her hand in his.

"So they want you to be sheriff of the town?"

"Yes, with my experience and knowledge of the law, we can get this town back on the right track."

"We?"

"I told them I'd take the position only if I can pick my partner... so, I was wondering if you were busy..."

"Well, I'll have to think about that..." She said getting another smile out of him. Sora loved that smile... it was just so different and uniquely Tai. "Was there something else you wanted to ask me? It's been a couple weeks you know..."

"What else would I need to ask you? Everything seems to be in order."

"No, you just like playing with me, well fine then... there's always Matt who will be more than willing..." Before she could continue anymore, Tai cut her off with a passionate kiss.

"Never." He said as he looked into her eyes. "Never, ever, don't even think about it."

"Well, if you weren't..."

"I am... if you'll let me get to it... man, Joe and Izzy were right to tell me I'm going to go crazy arguing with you for the rest of my life..."

"I think you can handle it..." She smiled giving him a quick kiss for encouragement.

"Well, seeing all that's happened between us, and now that we've finally been given our lives back... I'd... I mean... Sora share me life with me? Whatever happens, we can face anything... marry me?" He said as he got down on his knees beside the bed and handed her a small ring.

Pushing back the covers of the bed, Sora moved into Tai's arms as she kissed him long and hard.

"Is that a yes then?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe? Well, if that's the answer..." He said letting go of her a little.

"Yes." She smiled pulled him back close. "You're not the only one who likes to play you know."

"I know... and that's why I love you."

"Same here. And don't you forget it." Sora said hugging him tightly. Things were finally looking up for Sora. She was happy and content with a new future, one that did not entail saloons or revenge. Her broken heart had been mended by another heart that shared what she went through and lived for a time... the pieces had been fixed and together they could and would live happily together...

THE End

A/N:

So, that's the end of that fic I'm glad you stayed with me and thanks for reading. I enjoyed all the reviews and hope to hear from you in the future. I just want to let you know- I will continue to write whenever I can- but going to Japan might make it a little sporadic at times... don't fear- I will never leave you hanging for too long.

Hope you all have a great Easter, St. Pat's Day, and all other holidays...

Ja Ne


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